275920 Tue Jan 11 22:07:12 -0800 2005 32 31 Home Cooking 0 1454440 My wife and I just went on a diet that allows us to eat as much pasta as we want as long as it is whole wheat. YUM!.......NOT Does anyone know of a good brand of whole wheat pasta or some good cooking techniques. I am not sure how to describe the texture and flavor of what I have tried so far, but good is not a word I would use. Thanks! Tue Jan 11 22:07:12 -0800 2005 0 shameless 1 1454445 I use a brand called 'bionaturae' that I buy at Whole Foods. I like both the penne and the fusilli. It doesn't get as mushy as some of the whole wheat pastas I've tried. According to the bag, it's made in Italy by third generation pasta artisans with wheat grown on small family farms. Good luck with that diet! Tue Jan 11 22:27:05 -0800 2005 1454440 0 Jane Hathaway 2 1454500 I have tried many brands of w w pasta and this is by far my favorite Wed Jan 12 10:45:46 -0800 2005 1454445 0 pina 1 1454448 King Arthur recently came out with a "white whole wheat" flour. I bought a bag of it the other day but haven't begun to experiment with it. If making your own pasta is an option for you, it might be worth a try. Maybe not. Jim Tue Jan 11 22:40:49 -0800 2005 1454440 0 Jim Washburn 1 1454451 I've been doing the South Beach diet which only allows whole wheat pasta as well. I like the Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta. They have egg noodle style pasta and I also like the penne and the rigatoni. I haven't tried the spaghetti yet. I suppose it's all a matter of personal taste though. Tue Jan 11 23:13:48 -0800 2005 1454440 0 Michelle Burns 1 1454452 We like the Prince brand Healthy Harvest Whole Wheate spaghetti. The rotini not so much. Tue Jan 11 23:14:32 -0800 2005 1454440 0 JB 1 1454456 Try out the stuff in the organic aisle of your market. Be warned that some of the stuff billed as "whole wheat" in the pasta aisle isn't really- check out that ingredients list to be sure. A giveaway that it's not whole wheat is when the front label says something like "Made with whole wheat", "With whole wheat", etc. Tue Jan 11 23:41:59 -0800 2005 1454440 0 twinmommy 2 1454507 Good point. I think you can look for "whole grain, whole wheat" vs. just wheat. Apparently, wheat can be darkened white flour. Link: http://texasmensch.blogspot.com/ Wed Jan 12 11:53:25 -0800 2005 1454456 0 texasmensch 1 1454464 I also use the bionaturae pasta. I've found everyone is different with their wheat pasta tastes, so you may need to just see what works for you. My white pasta eating friends seem to also like the bionaturae as well. You might give spelt pasta a try, my husband prefers it to the whole wheat. Whole wheat pasta is all we've eaten for a while now and you WILL get used to the heartiness, I promise. We like it so much now that white pasta tastes 'empty'. Make sure you don't rinse your pasta afterwards - it makes it tough. Spritz with a little oil if you need to keep it from sticking. Also, salt your water LIBERALLY with kosher salt. Like, more than you think you should. The pasta will not get salty, trust me. I find this makes a huge difference. Good luck! It's a great change to make for yourself. Wed Jan 12 00:45:41 -0800 2005 1454440 0 KrissyWats 2 1454474 Like a lot of other people, I like Bionaturae whole wheat pasta, but if you can't find it, I think DeCecco whole wheat spaghetti and linguine are pretty good. (Their whole wheat penne and rotini are not very good IMO.) I agree about needing to add more salt to the cooking water. I use 2 tablespoons for a pound of pasta. Wed Jan 12 01:42:22 -0800 2005 1454464 0 creepygirl 3 1454517 Thanks for the tip about using more salt. I have been using the bionature brand and it sounds like the addition of more salt will improve the taste. I agree that you do get used to eating whole wheat pasta and that regular pasta will not taste as good eventually. Wed Jan 12 12:26:01 -0800 2005 1454474 0 DeeDee 1 1454466 I wonder if there is such a thing as pasta made with mixed whole wheat and rice flour? That would be healthy and lighter than regular whole wheat pasta, which is way too heavy for me (and a lot of other people). Once I made whole wheat lasagna for a party and everyone who ate it fell asleep. Very embarrassing. Wed Jan 12 01:00:10 -0800 2005 1454440 0 Lee 2 1454477 Interesting. I too have made lasagna with whole wheat pasta but didn't have the same problem. I think you have to be careful to not eat as much because it is so much more filling. I actually made a chicken alfredo lasagna with whole wheat pasta and it was a huge hit! I know there are lots of rice pastas, and lots of whole wheat pastas.....surely someone has tried to combine them? To each their own.....I do love the stuff. Wed Jan 12 02:52:08 -0800 2005 1454466 0 krissywats 3 1454494 Whole wheat and rice flour pasta does sound good, doesn't it? I've never seen any, but I would love to try it. Wed Jan 12 10:20:40 -0800 2005 1454477 0 Lee 1 1454471 Thanks everyone. That is a much better response than I was expecting! I hadn't thought of the label reading issue, but it makes sense. I also was looking at quite a few spelt pastas, but do they have the same fiber content as whole wheat? I am pretty sure that is the reason why WW pasta is ok. it is loaded with dietary fiber to combat the calories. Sounds like I should give the bionature a try. I have used some of their other products. Thanks again.... Wed Jan 12 01:33:18 -0800 2005 1454440 0 Shameless 2 1454476 I don't know all the details on spelt, specifically, but I know the point of any of these is 'whole grain'....it takes longer to process and that's the whole point - it doesn't break down immediately into a sugar when digesting. There is higher protein and nutrients in all of the whole grain pastas, I believe. It's just a better way to eat, in general. Wed Jan 12 02:48:13 -0800 2005 1454471 0 Krissywats 2 1454482 I just finished a bag of bionatura pasta, reluctantly. I did not care for the texture and won't buy it again. But heck, its cheap enough to try it for yourself. Wed Jan 12 08:46:04 -0800 2005 1454471 0 Ellen 1 1454478 My husband and I love the Healthy Harvast Pasta too, but did anyone else notice on some of the different types of pasta it says San Georgio and Ronzoni on rhe lable??????? Weird. Wed Jan 12 07:17:10 -0800 2005 1454440 0 I Love New Orleans Food! 1 1454480 I think Whole Foods 365 brand whole wheat pasta is pretty good. And it's much cheaper than other brands. Wed Jan 12 08:29:17 -0800 2005 1454440 0 Andy T. 1 1454488 While you're at it, you might try making risotto with farro (the Italian whole grain spelt), often found it natural and gourmet markets. (Furthermore, if you are considering barley, try to find hulled (hulless) barley, rather than pearl barley, which is more refined. Hulled barley is one of the lowest glycemic grains in the market.) Wed Jan 12 09:11:34 -0800 2005 1454440 0 Karl S. 2 1454489 I love farro. I once made an amazing farro salad with roasted winter vegetables, sage and a maple vinaigrette. Back to the whole wheat pasta topic, I think it is definitely a taste that you'll get used to, like others have said. I think the long noodles are defintely better tasting than shorter cuts for some reason. Wed Jan 12 09:15:34 -0800 2005 1454488 0 JessicaSophia 3 1454511 Oh...and Quinoa!! Cook some Quinoa in vegetable broth (be sure and rinse the quinoa or it's bitter), and then add in a bit of olive oil, scallions, cucumbers, corn. Chill and it makes an excellent side salad/dish or spoon pureed roasted red pepper soup over it for a lovely meal or starter. A friend of mine turned me on to quinoa and I really love it. Excellent for you, too. Wed Jan 12 12:05:58 -0800 2005 1454489 0 krissywats 2 1454527 I just made a "risotto" with farro on Monday night using a recipe from Joyce Goldstein's "Italian Slow and Savory." (Great cookbook by the way). The sofrito base was just butter, onion and sage. Then added the farro and used the standard risotto method using simmering chicken broth. About halfway through I added diced blanched butternut squash, and near the end added some chopped cooked chestnuts and a little more sage. Beat in 1 T of butter at the end, sprinkle with parmigiano reggiano, and you have a fabulous dish that is healthy and filling. P.S. I followed Joyce Goldstein's recommendation and soaked the farro in cold water first for about an hour. Wed Jan 12 13:04:46 -0800 2005 1454488 0 farmersdaughter 1 1454502 No help to offer, but a question: isn't pasta. like a baguette or a pie crust, necessarily made from white flour? Not to argue the nutritional question, and allowing for differences in taste and preference, aren't the classic versions of these foods defined by the characteristics of white flour? Wed Jan 12 11:27:08 -0800 2005 1454440 0 john clark 2 1454514 That's an interesting point. I don't know if a 'purist' might find the idea appalling. But in my case, I make a mean pie crust out of whole wheat pastry flour. And, my understanding is there are several french breads and baguettes that have always been made with a whole wheat flour- at least according to my bread book. Wed Jan 12 12:14:26 -0800 2005 1454502 0 KrissyWats 2 1454558 I guess that depends on your definition of "classic" and how far back you want to go. Historically, white flour was made by sifting stoneground whole wheat flour to remove the larger bits of bran and germ, and only the richest people could afford sifted flour because the extra labor made it more expensive. Unless it was made in the kitchens of the rich, any pasta or baguette or pie crust made before the invention of the steam engine-- 1880 or so (when steam-driven metal rollers in mills made white flour cheaper)-- was probably made with whole wheat flour. Wed Jan 12 14:43:47 -0800 2005 1454502 0 pecan pie wife 1 1454509 Once you get used to the wheat pasta you will find it is much more filling than reg white pasta and you'll learn to love the flavor. But, it is hard to get into--we like the al dente brand. I think you also have to learn to cook the wheat pasta--it does need much more salt as others have said. You can overcook it very quickly, so stand by the pot and test it very often until you come up with the right time for your taste. Good luck! Wed Jan 12 12:02:58 -0800 2005 1454440 0 jackie 2 1454749 If you want to try to ease into the ww pasta, try cooking half ww and half white together for a while. You'll have to start the white pasta first as it takes a bit longer to cook, then add the ww a few minutes into the cooking time. Make sure to give the noodles a good stir each time you add them to the pot to prevent sticking. Thu Jan 13 17:38:32 -0800 2005 1454509 0 Kimm 1 1454534 You might also want to try Mueller's low carb pasta. It looks like regular white pasta, but has a TON of fiber in it...I think even more than a lot of the whole wheat pastas. I use the short noodles all the time and they taste great. Wed Jan 12 13:20:53 -0800 2005 1454440 0 AmberJane 1 1454542 Trader Joe's whole wheat pasta, especially the spaghetti, is very good. The new issue of "Eating Well" magazine has a feature on WW pasta, including a taste test. Many people like the "Healthy Harvest," but note that it is a blend of whole wheat and white flours, not 100% whole wheat. Don't know if this matters to you. Wed Jan 12 13:46:18 -0800 2005 1454440 0 Buttercup 1 1454581 I like Bob's Red Mill. Tasty, and has a relatively high level of fiber per serving. Wed Jan 12 16:06:04 -0800 2005 1454440 0 Emme 1 1454666 Once whole grains become a part of your life, you will wonder how you managed to put down so much overly refined white flour white sugar stuff. As to which brand of WW Pasta... eventually, it's all good... you really do get used to the flavor and texture and begin to appreciate it on it's own, rather than seeing it as a second best to the regular white flour stuff. And then you will go on to stuff like Kasha, Farro, Quinoa, Oats, Rye, Barley, Brown Rice...yummmmmm... and the whole world becomes an entirely different place. oh, and there's also Organic Buckwheat noodles (soba) you can try, from your local Asian market. Thu Jan 13 10:28:02 -0800 2005 1454440 0 Anne in SF 2 1454689 I absolutely agree with you, Anne. I HATED brown rice until Cook's Illustrated taught me how to make it to perfection in the oven. Now it's amazing. and flavorful....which lead me to all the other whole grains. IT's a whole new, and healthier world. I feel empty and a bit hollow when i eat white pasta or bread, now. Thu Jan 13 12:40:51 -0800 2005 1454666 0 krissywats