Healthy Pasta Sauce Recipes That Taste Like A Cheat Meal

Nowadays, if you have a spiral vegetable cutter, you can make anything into pasta: beets, celeriac, carrots, squash — you name it. But just as a creamy dressing can render an otherwise healthy salad into a calorie-filled bowl of "you may as well have just had a greasy burger with fries," the wrong sauce can render healthier-for-you pasta into a plateful of "why did you even bother?"

What if we were to tell you that you can make creamy decadent sauces that will make those zoodles taste great without blowing your health and wellness goals?

Well, hold onto your hats, friends, because here are seven delicious pasta sauces that are so good you'll feel like you're cheating on that diet.

1. Creamy Cauliflower "Alfredo" Sauce: Is there anything cauliflower can't do? Every time we ask, something new and amazing turns up, such as this creamy sauce that will let you enjoy Alfredo again. This is why cauliflower is the hardest working vegetable in show business. Check it out here!

2. Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce: Creamy, cheesy and healthy, this butternut squash sauce takes just 25 minutes to whip up. Yes, please! (via Creme de la Crumb)

3. Homemade Pesto: This is a great base recipe that you can adapt however you see fit. For example, add baby spinach or parsley (or both!) to the mix. We do recommend going with more than the 2-3 cloves of garlic. A good pesto should be nice and garlicky, after all, and it's good for you. Click here for the recipe.

4. Tortellini with Asparagus in a Light Creamy Lemon Sauce: As delicious as three-cheese tortellini is, it was the light creamy lemon sauce that got our attention. We'll be pairing this with carrot "noodles" or zoodles to keep things healthy and low-calorie. (via Views From The 'Ville)

5. Creamy Avocado and Spinach Pasta: How about a sauce that is not only good for you, but also tastes freaking amazing? Creamy avocado, spinach and garlic are the main stars of this sauce. And all you need is a blender and a bowl. (via Jo Cooks)

6. Tuscan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce: Instead of cream, this recipe calls for full-fat coconut milk. And don't worry, the sauce won't taste like coconut at all. The final result is a sauce that's rich and creamy and perfect paired with those healthier "noodles." (via Real Food Whole Life)

7. Pasta with Creamy Kale Sauce: If you want to get the nutritional benefits of kale without having to endure actually tasting any of it, trust us. We get it. That's why we're including this recipe, which combines it with onions and garlic, coconut milk and cheese. The recipe calls for vegan cheese, but hey. You can go ahead and use regular Parmesan. Puree the sauce with an immersion blender and voila: easy, creamy, delicious and healthy! Furthermore, anything that makes you forget you're eating kale gets an A+ in our book. (via The Pretty Bee)

At HellaWella, we're all about bringing big-time healthy living to the public. Click here to be taken to the original article. We break down some of the latest healthy living news, create helpful tips, and hunt down deals to encourage a healthy lifestyle. We inspire readers to take complete control of their lives, from their health to their home. Connect with HellaWella through Facebook or Twitter.