Whole Wheat Pasta: Way or No Way?
No Way for me. I tried and tried again, different types, different brands. I just can't get used to the taste.
You?
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43 Comments:
Love it.
meg3j at 10:55AM on 12/14/08
no way
dearrie at 10:56AM on 12/14/08
Whole wheat, no way. Gummy texture and weird flavor--a cross between cardboard and mud. Barilla plus, a multi grain pasta, is pretty good, but they don't have all the shapes we like, so I usually buy their regular pasta. Has anyone tried the porcini torts or cheese torts? They're a hit around our place.
dhorst at 10:57AM on 12/14/08
I too don't like wet cardboard, but I do find the multi-grains quite acceptable when using a highly flavored (tomato based) sauce. And, yes, there aren't many shapes -- one kind of spaghetti and one shape, ziti I think, in my supermarket. I have not tried the multigrain with a simple sauce such as a few sauteed vegetables and olive oil.
Blue Iris at 11:04AM on 12/14/08
I made the switch several years ago, and I'm pretty used to the texture, I guess. I eat a lot of pasta, and using whole wheat is an easy way to cut back on sugar and add fiber. I've also tried multi-grain and spelt versions, and I can't really tell the difference.
I agree they all need a highly flavored, fairly thick sauce - they don't pair well with delicate, cream-based sauces. I also wish there were more shapes available. But if you're trying to make small changes to your diet (like another post I saw yesterday), I think switching to whole wheat or multi-grain is a fairly easy way to do it.
suthungirl at 11:19AM on 12/14/08
I really do like using Barilla's PLUS--but it totally depends on the sauce. It works really well for cacio e pepe. Totally whole wheat or whole grain--not for me.
Kerry Saretsky at 11:23AM on 12/14/08
Thinner pastas, such as spaghetti and angel hair, are fine for me in their whole wheat versions. I have to stay away from the thicker ones (penne, for example. Too gummy and very strong tasting. Have to agree about pairing them with a flavorable sauce. I make spaghetti with meatsauce with w.w. pasta about once a week.
Mnemosyne at 11:36AM on 12/14/08
I only eat whole wheat pasta. So it's ALL THE WAY for me. Also - I can buy it in nearly every shape I could want at my local Super Target. Even the crappy grocery stores in town have a good selection of shapes.
feriorrenna at 11:38AM on 12/14/08
No way. Texture is all wrong. Whole wheat bread is standard in my house. We are huge vegetable eaters. Beans are eaten at least once a week. I serve brown rice 5 times as often as white. I'm sure as hell not going to worry about eating a little *unhealthy* fiberless pasta when that's what I'm in the mood to eat. I want to like what I'm eating. If it's served to me, I'll eat it and it's fine. But to cook it just because it's a little healthier than white? Nah. I'd just as soon do without.
HOWEVER. Like other posters here, I do use Barilla Plus for most of my run of the mill weeknight pasta dishes. Those who aren't familiar with the Barilla Plus product need to be clear, this is not a whole wheat pasta. But it's extremely high in protein, omega 3 and fiber due to the addition of legume flours and flaxseed meal. It is delicious and virtually impossible to distinguish it from regular (white flour) dried pasta. In fact, it tends to require a bit more cooking to reach al dente than regular pasta, so it basically cannot get mushy like the whole wheat ones. An excellent healthied up alternative for those of us who cannot abide the texture of whole wheat pasta!
LoCo at 11:48AM on 12/14/08
No thanks. I don't think I've ever eaten it, actually. I know I've never bought it. But I've read so many negative comments that I don't want to try it. Like LoCo, we get plenty of fiber from the other things we eat, and pasta isn't on the menu all that often, so I'm really not interested.
dbcurrie at 11:57AM on 12/14/08
I'm not wild about it, myself. I get my whole grains in whole wheat bread and brown rice.
buffy at 12:09PM on 12/14/08
I have a Love/Hate relationship with whole wheat pasta. But, based on a couple of posts, I will give Barilla a shot.
izatryt at 12:28PM on 12/14/08
Since I'm a college student/semi vegetarian who eats a lot of pasta (probably pasta a couple of times a week, but in small portions!), it's whole wheat all the way. I will indulge in regular in a restaurant, or if I'm cooking something special for my family or boyfriend.
lovesomething at 12:59PM on 12/14/08
I don't like pasta.
HeartofGlass at 1:02PM on 12/14/08
Way! I like my pasta really al dente, and I love the extra "bite" that I get from ww pasta (goes extremely well with really sharp cheeses). We alternate ww with "regular" at home though, as OH prefers regular (but doesn't hate ww), and I prefer ww. This is one of those thing I eat not because "it's good for me" (I eat plenty of grains and greens to worry about it), but because I really like the taste.
brooke29 at 1:28PM on 12/14/08
my friends insist i cook with it because they're health freaks, so I like the Barrilla kind, the texture doesn't freak me out as much.
but NEVER for a "good" pasta dish (seafood, really good sauce etc)
veggieout at 1:32PM on 12/14/08
Nope something about the texture with me. I barely ever eat pasta peiod after I found the there are alot of recipes (not all) that I can sub pasta with won ton skins, they are light and fluffy like clouds, melt in your mouth.
pjracz10 at 1:42PM on 12/14/08
Way. I know for most people it tastes like shredded cardboard (another way to recycle perhaps?) but I love the earthiness of it. The Barilla Plus pastas are good, higher protein pastas for those who don't like the wheaty-ness of WW pasta.
It's definitely not for every sauce though. Primavera works best with it IMO.
therealchiffonade at 1:43PM on 12/14/08
For a while when I was dieting and trying to stay away from white flour, I had it occasionally when I got that pasta craving - I didn't mind it, although I do agree it is not suited for every dish/sauce. I think a whole wheat penne could be good in some cold pasta salads. But the conclusion that I came to is that I don't eat pasta often enough anyway, so I don't worry about it when I do have it and I get my whole grains from breads.
Jeana at 2:42PM on 12/14/08
No way. It's too tough, too strangely tasting. I don't eat pasta that much, so when I do, it's regular pasta or nothing.
jenilowrance at 3:01PM on 12/14/08
@therealchiffonade or prehaps you could use it when as "snow" when shipping packages.
pjracz10 at 3:20PM on 12/14/08
I like both - we eat mostly wheat though - I've never noted any odd or off flavors - I've use it in both tomato based and cream based sauces and never had an issue.
renoles at 3:38PM on 12/14/08
no way. Way too heavy.
jinx35 at 3:47PM on 12/14/08
I've had Barilla Plus and Whole Wheat. Both are pretty good as long as you stick with thinner cuts. I favor angle hair.
dmcavanagh at 6:50PM on 12/14/08
No Way! I rather boil the box
fewteeth at 7:02PM on 12/14/08
I vote NO WAY. The best I can manage is the Ronzoni Smart Taste (6 gr dietary fiber, a decent amount). THe Heartland, Barilla, etc, "whole wheat" ones, no. My tastebuds grew up on too much traditional, homemade Italian macaroni. (I even tried the mix-in-25% of the whole-wheat-until-you-get-used-to-it gambit; nuh-uh.)
Robbo at 7:08PM on 12/14/08
It always makes my stomach hurt, unfortunately.
cochon at 9:12PM on 12/14/08
I can eat it occasionally but never al dente! It has to be cooked until completely soft.
I started buying something called Smart Pasta that is supposed to have the nutrition and fibre of whole wheat but the flavour and texture of white. It's quite good but the selection of shapes is limited, but they just recently came out with linguine and lasagna.
ag3208 at 9:30PM on 12/14/08
whole wheat spaghetti mixed with regular (1 part wheat; 3 parts reg) is delicious. it adds a nutty flavor. i couldn't stand it alone and felt bad throwing it away so i mixed it. when the wheat ones seem slightly bendy add regular to pot.
blizcheetah at 11:27PM on 12/14/08
I like Barilla wheat pasta in the short sizes, like penne, for something that is going to be sauced, either alfredo or chunky tomato. Otherwise, meh. I wonder how homemade wheat pasta would be?
nightowl at 12:06AM on 12/15/08
@dhorst I like the cheese and spinach Barilla tortellini. I usually mix it with some quickly cooked tomatoes and spinach. Quite the tasty, especially for pasta with dried cheese filling. Whodathunkit?
nightowl at 1:13AM on 12/15/08
I eat it for the health benefits but I prefer regular pasta. My boyfriend really doesn't like it though, too gummy.
saelha at 6:31AM on 12/15/08
I want to like it, but I just hate the flavor. No way!
Junie at 9:39AM on 12/15/08
WAY! I actually really like it, but I'm nerdy that way.
CookiePie at 9:55AM on 12/15/08
Way! I like the Barilla whole wheat but will use Ronzoni when it's not available. I'm sure there's better, fancier stuff out there, but...this works for me. The "multi-grain" Ronzoni, however, is on my No Way list.
littlestcapy at 2:04PM on 12/15/08
Way for homemade. And if you are still in the pre-homemade pasta peril, Get Over It! It's easy; you don't need a pasta machine, just a rolling pin, and it makes such a difference.
Also way for gnocchi. (With pesto of course, but that's another post) It lends a wonderful chewiness to the otherwise thickly white flour and potato pasta.
michichan at 2:10PM on 12/15/08
This thread made me remember something. My daughter was about 8 years old. I had just boiled about half a pound of WW spaghetti. I made a Spaghetti Pie for dinner (spaghetti, beaten eggs, cheese, pan fry, lower heat, cook through, then flip the pie to crust the other side).
I thought this pie looked wonderful. It looked like a picture out of a magazine with steam rising off it and a dollop of marinara sauce on top.
My daughter broke my gaze by asking, "Mommy, why did you make worms in a pie?"
therealchiffonade at 3:53PM on 12/15/08
whole wheat - All the way!!!!!
MadelynRodriguez at 5:01PM on 12/15/08
Use it 100% of the time - I am Type II diabetic and whole wheat pasta sugar doesn't rush immediately into my blood stream like regular pasta. The glycemic index is much better for diabetics. For that reason, I "developed" a taste for ww pasta and now, actually, I do enoy it!
bareneed at 5:37PM on 12/15/08
I just had whole wheat orzo prepared al dente last night - it was delicious!
Mama Beckala at 8:56AM on 12/16/08
@chiff ~ worm pie - sounds freakishly fun! I just love finding out what's in a child's mind. I've been wondering what to fix my granddaughter for dinner and now I know - worm pie (with gluten free pasta). I'll enlist her help. Hope they'll arrive today. After reading about a little one believing that raisins were actually bunny droppings, I have to make sure I explain very carefully. LOL
PerkyMac at 9:08AM on 12/16/08
If whole wheat pasta tasted all that different to me, I'd say it was better and earthier! So...that's one giant WAY! for me! :)
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 2:35PM on 12/16/08
My little boy can eat his weight in pasta, and so in an attempt to offer him healthier choices, I tried switching to the whole grain pasta/wheat pasta. BLECH. I could hardly blame him when, for the next few weeks, he'd check in with me while I was cooking and ask: "Mama, you're not making the brown kind again are you??"
juliebugsmama at 3:16PM on 12/16/08