When whole wheat and whole grain pastas first hit store shelves a few years back, they were touted as being healthier! and more wholesome! and just like regular pasta! The first two things may have been true, but the last one, not so much. Most whole grain pastas were gummy, bitter-tasting, and altogether unpleasant to eat. But these pastas have come a long way, and I'm rooting for the underdog.
More than anything else, I appreciate diversity in my pantry. There are some dishes where I will always use regular white wheat pasta, but there are plenty of others where I've found the nuttiness and earthy flavors of whole wheat pasta really work: hearty casseroles, cold pasta salads for lunch, and any pasta dish with hearty green vegetables like broccoli and chard.
Essentially, I think we need to stop thinking of whole wheat pasta as a replacement for white pasta and instead think of it as a companion. It's another option we have when cooking dinner: "Would this dish taste better with regular pasta or with whole wheat pasta?" Whole wheat pasta isn't going to be the right choice all the time, but I for one like having the option.
Do you cook with whole wheat pasta? What dishes do you use it in most often?
Related: Blogging Cook's Illustrated: Sauces for Whole Wheat Pasta
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I agree!
There are just some dishes you have to make a good decision of when to use whole wheat pasta or regular white wheat pasta. Whole wheat doesn't always work with everything. It also depend on the brand. I like tossing it with vegetables and nice olive oil. A good red sauce works too.
Also, soy pasta! It makes any pasta meal into a protein powerhouse!
I agree as well. I would never like whole wheat pasta if I thought of it as a substitute for white pasta. Occasionally, though, it's just what I'm craving, and I'm always glad it's around.
I also agree. For awhile I didn't like it, but eventually I realized it's because I was always trying it with a tomato-based sauce--which I personally think doesn't go at all with the whole wheat. But I actually prefer whole wheat pasta over plain to go with non-tomato roasted veggies, olive oil, and lemon. Trader Joe's organic whole wheat penne is very good, I've never found it gummy or bitter.
I use it almost exclusively and honestly it works just fine.
I second TJ's whole wheat penne (and rigatoni). Never found it gummy or bitter. I also don't use tomato sauces with it -- It's a strictly "eat cold" or "eat with a ton of veggies" pasta. Subtler, more delicate flavors def require regular pasta.
I'm with @anotherjen. We just stopped buying white pasta in most situations and got used to the texture and taste of whole wheat.
You obviously haven't tried Community Grains pasta: http://communitygrains.com/products/dried-pasta
Let us know if we can send you samples. Once you go CG you won't go back.
Try whole wheat lasagna noodles with the recipe for butternut bechamel vegetable lasagna here on this site, it's incredibly good!
I love whole wheat pasta and prefer it in fact. The nutty aroma and the extra bite are right up my alley. I love the Bionaturae brand, not gummy at all.
I like whole wheat pasta in some dishes, but my partner does not like the taste.
I picked up a High Fiber pasta from trader joe's and he *loves* that, so I switched. We get the fiber content we need, and the taste we like.
i was just at the grocery store lamenting today over how i had to buy the regular ditalini for soup because there was no whole-wheat variety. i absolutely prefer whole wheat, even in tomato sauces - and to my italian father, this is almost sacrilege.
I switched to all whole wheat a while back, and, now that I'm accustomed to it, I prefer it. Regular pasta seems so mushy now.
I prefer whole wheat pasta as well and have found several good brands; Dellalo,Bionature,Organics(Safeway) and TJ. Unless it's homemade I seldom have white pasta any longer,it doesn't have the same heartiness as wheat.
I see pasta as more of a splurge for me than a common staple in my meals, so when I do have it i go "wild" if you will and use the white wheat stuff. Now I want a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs.
Try Bionature, organic whole wheat imported from Italy. Very good quality. Just wish it was offered in more varieties.
For a long time, I used 1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat pasta in dishes because I was afraid of the dish being overwhelmed by the flavor of bitter pasta. I don't know if my taste buds changed or the pasta changed, but I use all whole wheat now and it works fine. And I don't buy fancy pasta; I generally just use the stuff in the bulk bins at my local grocery store.
I also agree with anotherjen. Most of the pasta dishes I cook have a hearty or meaty sauce, so if anything the whole wheat pasta is an improvement.
On a similar note, I've almost completely replaced white rice with brown rice, which we both like a great deal. Just about the only time I reach for the white rice now is when I'm making lemon chicken.
I don't notice any difference when it comes to lasagne. In fact, I prefer it in my veggie lasagne! http://kaleeats.blogspot.ca/2013/02/roasted-vegetable-hemp-seed-lasagne.html
My kids don't notice it in mac n cheese or spagetti, so the makers must be doing something right. Like the post above, I started using 1/2 and 1/2 but then the kids just noticed there was a difference. Once I went to all whole wheat, their comments stopped.