Here's my fav pasta dish:
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Angel hair pasta.
Melt butter in a pan of some olive oil.
Squeeze a bunch 'o garlic into pan.
A bit of salt/pepper.
Mix with pasta and shredded Romano Cheese.
Romano cheese has more punch than Parmesan cheese.
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Had this at an outdoor cafe in Rome. Delicious.
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Edit:

https://damndelicious.net/2016/01/01/parmesan-garlic-spaghetti/

Food is in my culture and background - I'm a 100% Greek. My grandfather was a food purveyor. My dad took me to the produce markets in Chicago and taught me what was fresh, how to pick fruits and produce and what was in season. My mom came from a large family was the oldest girl in family. She was a great cook. I had family in the restaurant business. My dad never wanted me to get in the food business - very long hours: "a half day is 12 hours" .

I can cook - I love food and I'm very adventurous - I will try anything once. What I won't do is fast food - that just isn't food. I don't like chain restaurants either - I don't want to spend money on something I can make it better at home.

If you were poor and had a grill (even a crappy one), chicken thighs, wings, drummets, etc. were always dirt cheap!!

I cook/cheat some on some weekends...

My satisfying low calorie daily diet,
Fresh Ahi and shrimp are my lean proteins combined with fresh greens.

Try to avoid anything in a box or can that contains preservatives and salt.

Lots of water and portion control maybe 5 small meals a day.
Titos vodka/club soda for near zero calories too.
Keeps the lbs off, holding comfortably at just 8 lbs over my high school weight back in 1975.

20 years ago when I enjoyed sports, Pasta was my carb loading choice but now it gives me no energy.
Today over 60 and less active, I'd gain 10lbs in a month if I went back to frequent beer, pizza and pasta meals.

A few times a year I cave in and enjoy 3 pieces of pizza and a half pitcher of beer. ;)

Really hard to find cheap chicken here now.

I used to get chicken legs with back attached at Knobhill farms for 19 cents a pound!

There are a few shops in Chicago that you can pick your own live chicken and have it prep for you. It is the freshest chicken you will ever eat. not for the faint of heart. The first time I ever experienced this, the chicken was still warm when I came home - very weird. I gave the head and feet to a friend of mine who is Vietnamese.

Costco used to carry refrigerated Tyson Teriyaki chicken wings and drumettes in a flat tray. IIRC, it was about $3 for 2 lbs of them and they were awesome! That and some rice would make a nice meal for me.