US Pasta

[zki]

Whole wheat or vegetable pasta - does it matter? Healthiest picks? Suggestions or ones you prefer?
Whole Foods is not close to me and I find their prices to be on the high side and not viable...
I'd like to focus on ones that are commonly found in most grocery stores and not exotic or hard to find ones...
Thanks!

 

[Lou]

I try to limit my pasta intake but still have it at least once a week.
there is no reason to just choose one pasta or another. You can have different ones every week.

My grocery store has a brand called Barilla (rhymes with gorilla). I'm not sure it's a national brand - but you may have something similar. Barilla has a high protein angel hair (10 grams protein,4 g fiber), a veggie spaghetti (made with zucchini and spinach), and whole-grain linguine (7 g fiber). They also have versions of these in penne and rotini. And they also have red lentil and chickpea versions. I haven't tried them all but I haven't found any that I don't like.

I learned something new this year. I used to make just a single serving of pasta. My brother-in-law pours the whole box of spaghetti in boiling water. After it cooks and drains he adds a whole jar of pasta sauce. What is left over is put in the frig. Just heat it up for a quick lunch. I usually make homemade pasta sauce in bulk. but now I store it in pasta sauce jars (which I have quite a few) and just keep them in the freezer.

If you feel like splurging, check out some of Kite Hill's filled pasta. They are a little expensive but they are a treat. I like the mushroom ravioli best.

Oh, have you ever used Amazon Prime Pantry? I only used it once and I found it inconvenient. but you can buy Barilla products really cheap there. If you have the room in the cupboard you can buy them all - at once.

 

[zki]

I try to limit my pasta intake but still have it at least once a week.
there is no reason to just choose one pasta or another. You can have different ones every week.

My grocery store has a brand called Barilla (rhymes with gorilla). I'm not sure it's a national brand - but you may have something similar. Barilla has a high protein angel hair (10 grams protein,4 g fiber), a veggie spaghetti (made with zucchini and spinach), and whole-grain linguine (7 g fiber). They also have versions of these in penne and rotini. And they also have red lentil and chickpea versions. I haven't tried them all but I haven't found any that I don't like.

I learned something new this year. I used to make just a single serving of pasta. My brother-in-law pours the whole box of spaghetti in boiling water. After it cooks and drains he adds a whole jar of pasta sauce. What is left over is put in the frig. Just heat it up for a quick lunch. I usually make homemade pasta sauce in bulk. but now I store it in pasta sauce jars (which I have quite a few) and just keep them in the freezer.

If you feel like splurging, check out some of Kite Hill's filled pasta. They are a little expensive but they are a treat. I like the mushroom ravioli best.

Oh, have you ever used Amazon Prime Pantry? I only used it once and I found it inconvenient. but you can buy Barilla products really cheap there. If you have the room in the cupboard you can buy them all - at once.

Thanks, the Barilla brand is widely available.

 

[Kellyr]

I like using pastas that are made with lentils and quinoa, etc. There's an organic brand called Simple Truth that's usually in a lot of big-chain grocers and they have lentil/quinoa pasta, whole wheat, standard, cauliflower/quinoa that I know of. There's gluten-free pastas, as well - check the ingredients to see what they're made of if you're tired of the standard white flour pastas. In fact, most large grocery chains carry various types of pastas, especially since gluten-free became such a huge need-turned-trend.

 

[Emma JC]

as I like to call myself a starchivore you might conclude I eat a lot of pasta and you would be correct - well, not a lot - twice a week for sure and occasionally three times

mostly eat spaghettini and about half the time regular white spaghettini and half the time whole wheat spaghettini, our penne is always whole wheat

not sure if you count gnocchi as pasta, I do, but love that form of pasta as well

Emma JC

 

[PTree15]

I mostly eat white pasta, but I do occasionally have the vegetable pasta, especially for a cold pasta salad. I've tried wheat pastas, but I haven't been able to get past the texture or denseness. They seem very chewy.

 

[silva]

I love Barilla whole grain pasta- it took me a while to switch, esp with spaghetti sauce, but now I use it almost exclusively. I prefer it left over, as I like it to absorb the sauce.
Italian grown wheat- like I found with Gia Russo whole grain- are way more starchy!

I made a quinoa & brown rice pasta once. Weirdest stuff. It seemed to stay hard, then immediately turned to goo as I stirred. I had a pot of goo!

I haven't tried things like bean pastas, though I do have a box of Banza chickpea pasta I'm not sure what to use with- I'm thinking a cold pasta salad

I didn't realize Barilla protein plus was vegan till now! "Made simply with delicious golden wheat + protein from lentils, chickpeas, and peas, Barilla Protein+™ " I'll try that!

 

[KLS52]

I tried the different bean pastas.

I’m wondering if Barilla changed their ingredients. I remember checking years ago and seeing egg.

I had been eating strictly whole wheat pasta for several years but switched back to white recently. It’s my favorite. There’s nothing like it. Sometimes I’ll buy a blend.

I love the term starchivore...or even carbivore... I’m one too.

 

[PTree15]

I tried the different bean pastas.

I’m wondering if Barilla changed their ingredients. I remember checking years ago and seeing egg.

I had been eating strictly whole wheat pasta for several years but switched back to white recently. It’s my favorite. There’s nothing like it. Sometimes I’ll buy a blend.

I love the term starchivore...or even carbivore... I’m one too.

I remember seeing the egg as an ingredient, too, so I didn't buy it.
Count me in as a member of the starchivore/carbivore club.

 

[Emma JC]

I have to admit to not inventing the term Starchivore - it is Dr McDougall's term... beans and legumes have starch too ... love it in all forms.

It was probably the largest factor in the decision to go plant-based/vegan, for me, being told I could eat all the starches I wanted to.....

Emma JC

 

[silva]

I tried the different bean pastas.

I’m wondering if Barilla changed their ingredients. I remember checking years ago and seeing egg.

I had been eating strictly whole wheat pasta for several years but switched back to white recently. It’s my favorite. There’s nothing like it. Sometimes I’ll buy a blend.

I love the term starchivore...or even carbivore... I’m one too.

I believe they changed the high protein to be vegan! I remember that yellow box because people recommended it for me and it had eggs.No more eggs

Protein+®: High Protein Pasta | Barilla

Add protein to your meals, through pasta with Protein+® from Barilla. Discover these products including: spaghetti, farfalle, penne, rotini and more!

www.barilla.com

 

[silva]

On an unrelated note- my friend is on a low carb diet and was telling me about a bread she made with almond flour and flaxseeds. She brought me a piece and I had one bite --all I could taste was egg. I knew egg as my son cooks them, and it tasted just like they smell . She forgot-she used 7 eggs in a small loaf! I swear even after spearmint gum and a Tic Tac I could taste it

 

[KLS52]

On an unrelated note- my friend is on a low carb diet and was telling me about a bread she made with almond flour and flaxseeds. She brought me a piece and I had one bite --all I could taste was egg. I knew egg as my son cooks them, and it tasted just like they smell . She forgot-she used 7 eggs in a small loaf! I swear even after spearmint gum and a Tic Tac I could taste it

Yes, all of those low carb recipes are loaded with egg. Funny how much I used to love eggs so much and now they kind of turn my stomach.

 

[silva]

Yes, all of those low carb recipes are loaded with egg. Funny how much I used to love eggs so much and now they kind of turn my stomach.

I wasn't a fan of eggs on their own, although I've acquired quite a liking for black salt. What I truly miss is the rice pudding like my grandmother made. It has a layer of custard and I think the rice would rise to the top. She baked it. I haven't found any recipe that came anywhere near it, not even making a cornstarch pudding

 

[KLS52]

I wasn't a fan of eggs on their own, although I've acquired quite a liking for black salt. What I truly miss is the rice pudding like my grandmother made. It has a layer of custard and I think the rice would rise to the top. She baked it. I haven't found any recipe that came anywhere near it, not even making a cornstarch pudding

I used to do home care for an elderly gentleman and he had a friend who used to make rice pudding that sounds very similar to what you describe. It was the most amazing rice pudding I’ve ever tasted.

I ate eggs probably five days a week...fried, scrambled, hard boiled. It was insane. I can’t even do the black salt now. It’s so weird to me how my tastes have changed.