I guess I like lighter Italian pasta dishes, like angel hair pasta with sun-dried tomatoes , mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and capers in a nice lemon sauce. Having a dairy allergy most of my life, I have to find other ways to enjoy pasta than what's traditional.
I have bad acid reflux, and heavy dairy really sets it off, so I'm supposed to avoid heavy creams and certain kinds of cheese...I eat them anyway and suffer. I think I'm going to start making pasta dishes like that...my mouth is watering thinking about those delicious veggies and sauce!
Yeah, it's sooo hard to not eat the cheese-based dishes, especially when it comes to pasta, but unless I want to suffer for it afterwards, I've learned to avoid it. It helps to stay away from cheese and cream sauces if you can come up with some really tasty alternatives, though! Experiment with veggies that you like! Try sauteing a little fresh garlic in olive oil, then pour that over the pasta and veggies combo of your choice--it's fantastic!