John Myers
Pasta is undoubtedly delicious, but it is not one of the healthiest foods. At least not the classic pasta made from wheat flour. However, there are now alternatives.
Pasta made from chickpeas, lentils, peas, or beans
Spirelli made from chickpeas or lentils, penne from peas or beans – pasta made from legumes is really healthy. However, the alternative varieties have their price: they cost five to ten times as much as conventional pasta made from wheat flour. They contain neither flavor enhancers nor sweeteners. So they actually consist of 100 percent flour from the respective legume.
Lots of healthy ingredients
It contains many healthy ingredients: 100 grams of pasta made from legumes contains 20 to 45 grams of high-quality vegetable protein, about three to four times that of durum wheat pasta. With their high fiber content of ten percent (durum wheat: two percent), they support digestion. They swell up in the intestines, fill you up and stimulate intestinal activity. In addition, there are many more vitamins and minerals in the legume pasta than in normal pasta. They also contain healthy, long-chain carbohydrates that are digested very slowly, don’t spike blood sugar and insulin levels, and keep you full for longer.
Chickpeas contain a lot of calcium for bones and teeth as well as the vitamin folic acid for cell division. Red lentils are high in iron and zinc. Iron is important for the transport of oxygen in the blood. Zinc is needed for wound healing and immune defense.
Differences in taste
Noodles made from beans taste slightly sweet and have a dominant taste of their own. Pasta made from peas also tastes slightly sweet, but also bitter. Lentil pasta has a good bite, tastes slightly sweet, and tastes like lentils. Chickpea noodles also have a good bite. Its consistency is reminiscent of durum wheat, the taste is slightly nutty. To be really tasty, legume pasta only needs the right pesto, for example, parsley, lemon juice, sunflower seeds, olive oil, salt, pepper, cheese, and a dash of apple cider vinegar.
Tips for preparation
- If the dough stands for a long time, the noodles will absorb moisture and become mushy.
- Pasta made from legumes shouldn’t be cooked longer than five minutes, because if it’s not al dente it will taste mushy and become a mealy lump in your mouth.
- Legume pasta doesn’t absorb the sauce.
