Chef Mario Batali Loses Weight with Healthy Pasta Plate

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Nobody wants to look like they're munching too many of their own meals. If you love pasta but hate the carbs, celeb chef Mario Batali is here for you.

Mario dishes with A-List celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow and Julianne Moore, but when the famous cooker appeared to be eating for two, the host of "˜Spain ... on the Road Again' (with pal Gwyneth) decided it was time to fight the fat.

By switching up his self servings, he dropped whopping 45-pounds last year.

"I was up to about 280-pounds last year and now I'm down to about 235," he recently told People. His motivation came from a healthy mix of vanity and practicality: "I saw a picture or two of myself and I didn't like the way I looked," he says. "Plus, I have a family and I want to be here for a long time."

To enjoy your favorite foods, Batali says, "It's really about calorie intake and calorie outtake. You just have to eat enough to get you to the next meal, not every time you see a restaurant or see a plate do you have to eat."

Mario Batali's Whole Grain Rigatoni with Tuscan-Style Cauliflower and Pecorino

WHAT YOU NEED

• Mario Batali's Whole Grain Rigatoni
• 4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 6 mint leaves
• ½ tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 1 5-in. head of cauliflower, about 1 to 1¼ lbs.
• 1-lb. rigatoni pasta
• ½ cup grated pecorino cheese
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield ¼ cup
• Serves: 4

PREPARATION

• Bring 6 quarts water to boil in a large spaghetti pot and add 2 tablespoons salt.
• In a 14- to 18-in. sauté pan, heat oil until just smoking and add onion, mint and red pepper. Cook until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, remove leaves and base core from cauliflower and chop into ¼-in. pieces. Break the florets away from the central core and size them similarly. Cut the core into ¼-in. coins and throw all the pieces into the sauté pan with the onions. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring regularly for about 12 to 15 minutes, until cauliflower is softened and light brown but not mushy.
• Cook the rigatoni according to package instructions until "al dente," about 8 to 12 minutes, and drain in colander. Toss hot pasta into pan with cauliflower and add grated cheese, black pepper and parsley. Toss to coat and serve immediately.