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The Best Brand of Whole Wheat Pasta?

April 10, 2008 by Nicole 41 Comments

Whole Wheat Vermicelli with Browned Butter and Mizithra Cheese

There was a time when I thought of whole wheat pasta as something that only a health food nut would eat. But I’m talking years ago. Back then, you really couldn’t find something like whole wheat pasta unless you went to an actual ‘health food store’ to buy it. You know the ones I’m talking about. Those tiny, poorly lit places that smell like old vitamins.

But this was back before the wonderful blurring of the line between “health food” and “regular food” that we’re experiencing today.

Nowadays, eating what used to be known as ‘health food’ is hip and trendy because we call it ‘whole food’ and can buy it in beautiful stores that are brightly lit and smell really good. And even though it’s frustrating that we often have to pay premium prices for these newly discovered whole foods, I find the whole thing very exciting because there are so many new and wonderful food choices out there now!

I’ll admit that I still prefer traditional pasta over the whole wheat variety in many cases. But it’s also true that whole wheat pasta has come a long way over the years. Thanks to consumer interest in fiber and whole grains, we now have a huge variety of whole wheat products to choose from–even at the big chain grocery stores!

Now I haven’t done a side-by-side taste comparison between different whole wheat pastas but I do know that the latest package I picked up at Vons is one of the best I’ve tried.

Vermicelli Box

It’s called Heartland and each 2 oz. serving packs a whopping 5 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein! Of course the nutritional value means nothing to me if it’s not something I enjoy eating. But I’ve used this Angel Hair pasta for two different dishes and I absolutely loved it!

First I used it for a cold pasta salad that featured a sweet and spicy and sesame-peanut dressing. It was really good and I’m kicking myself for not writing down the dressing ingredients! I really felt that the whole wheat pasta contributed a lot to the flavor of the salad.

The second thing I made with this pasta was my lunch this afternoon that can be seen in the first photo. I tossed the cooked angel hair with browned butter and grated mizithra cheese ala The Old Spaghetti Factory. It was really good and I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything by using whole wheat pasta. And don’t lecture me on ruining the health benefits of whole wheat pasta by smothering it in butter and cheese–sometimes you have to splurge!

I don’t have a real recipe for the pasta dish as it’s something that you just throw together according to your own taste. But I’ll share what I did for today’s lunch and you can go from there:

Whole Wheat Angel Hair with Browned Butter and Mizithra Cheese

1) Grate 1 1/2 ounces mizithra cheese; set aside
2) Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil
3) Add about 6 oz. of whole wheat angel hair pasta and let the water return to a boil
4) Boil for 5 – 6 minutes (don’t overcook the pasta, check by tasting after five minutes)
5) Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small heavy skillet over medium heat. After the foam starts to subside, gently swirl the pan and watch carefully. When the butter turns a caramel color and has a nutty aroma, remove the pan from the heat.
6) When pasta is done, drain well then toss with browned butter and grated cheese. Serve immediately

Yield: 2 meal-sized portions

Notes: The pasta was fairly dry with this amount of butter but the taste was very good. If you can stand the calories, by all means add more butter! I used unsalted butter because mizithra cheese is extremely salty. Aside from salting the pasta water, you don’t need to add any extra salt to this dish at all.

Now that the recipe is out of the way, let’s get to the main reason I am writing this post. I have some questions for you! What are your favorite brands/types of whole wheat pasta? Do you have any favorite recipes for using whole wheat pasta?

I think many of you may have had the same bad experience with whole wheat pasta as I did years ago. That is, you tried whole wheat pasta once and found it to be so terrible that you refused to eat any more of it! But trust me, the pastas are so much better these days and if you use it in the right dish, you will be more than pleasantly surprised!

I’m hoping that several of you have found brands and recipes that you enjoy and you won’t mind sharing with the rest of us. Just leave your links to recipes and/or pasta brands in the comments section.

Thanks, and happy eating!

Filed Under: Main Courses, Vegetarian, Whole Grains

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alanna says

    April 15, 2008 at 7:28 am

    Just wanted to let you know that your post is featured on BlogHer today! ~ AK
    Reply
  2. MamaBird/SurelyYouNest says

    April 19, 2008 at 9:48 am

    We use only whole grain pastas (lots of Trader Joe's, some bionaturae (they're the only ones I have found for elbow noodles for mac n cheese), some de cecco if I am feelin fancy!). Question for you: I love udon noodles for soups -- are those whole grain? One's buckwheat, one's wild yam? If you're still reading the comments to this post I'm mightily curious, I couldn't figure it out from the packaging. Thanks!
    Reply
  3. Nicole says

    April 19, 2008 at 10:01 am

    Hi MamaBird! I've never used udon noodles so I can't tell you for sure if they are whole grain. The best way to check would be to look on the package to see what the fiber content is. If they are whole grain, one serving should contain at least a couple grams of fiber. Hope that helps! :-)
    Reply
  4. MamaBird/SurelyYouNest says

    April 19, 2008 at 10:05 am

    Thanks Nicole, I will check the fiber - you should try em for your Asian dishes tho, mmmmmmm. They rock in noodle salads and soups.
    Reply
  5. Claire says

    April 21, 2008 at 1:36 pm

    Just came across your site. I've tried a couple of whole grain pastas and so far my favorite is the Trader Joe's multigrain with flaxseed. I also like the TJ's whole wheat pastas (the ones with flaxseed aren't available in fettucini for example) and Ronzoni's Healthy Harvest, although I don't believe the latter are 100% whole grain. For lasagna, I use Gia Russa Whole Wheat Egg Lasagna, which are the no-boil kind, although they can be hard to find. I'm glad someone mentioned the bionaturae macaroni--I'll have to check it out since I've been making do with whole grain penne for making "mac-n-cheese."
    Reply
  6. Sara says

    April 21, 2008 at 5:52 pm

    The best whole wheat pasta are not brown or mushy when cooked and come from italy. La terra e il cielo, looks and tatses liek reualr pasta (when cooked), but contains the same amount of fiber and protein as the lower quality whole wheat pasta. http://www.laterraeilcielo.it/inglese/v_flash/menu.htm Best whole wheta pasta hands down!!!
    Reply
  7. Hans says

    June 17, 2008 at 9:05 am

    100% whole wheat from GIA RUSSIA ! I buy it from Amazon and comes from Italy. I think it is delectable.
    Reply
  8. KarmaFree Cooking says

    June 22, 2008 at 7:47 am

    I like bionature and DeCecco brands - recently I bought DeCecco Kamut variety of spaghetti , and it tasted awesome and cooked really fast. But for lasagna, I use DeBoles Rice variety, particularly the kind you don't need to boil. I make a mean spinach lasagna with it... Madelyn KarmaFreeCooking
    Reply
  9. Sandy Cook says

    October 15, 2008 at 2:45 pm

    My personal favorite is DeBoles whole grain organic angel hair pasta. I have always eaten whole grain wheat pasta except when eating out. As some of you said it has changed over the past years. The selections are greater and taste so much better.
    Reply
  10. Cody says

    February 9, 2009 at 7:19 pm

    Contrary to Claire’s post on Apr 21st, 2008: “I also like . . . Ronzoni’s Healthy Harvest” I happen to think the healthy harvest is quite awful, in fact, I found this site by Googling “what can you do with wheat pasta”. As in, what can I physically do with it other than eat it! :-X Maybe it’s just because I bought penne and rontini, because I love wheat pasta in spaghetti form (or the like). I hope this helps someone!
    Reply
  11. Nicole says

    February 9, 2009 at 7:25 pm

    Cody: Maybe you could use it for a craft project? ;-) I have the same problem with penne and rotini...just don't really like the whole wheat versions! But I've found that some of the thin pastas are really quite good! And lately I've become a fan of whole wheat egg noodles, too! They're great with Beef Stroganoff!
    Reply
  12. Gary, a chef says

    May 10, 2009 at 8:54 pm

    I mill whole grains to flour for pasta by hand. Whole grain wheat is just the tip of the iceberg, kiddies. I've read all the resonses, and it's obvious that the crap you've been eating isn't doing you any good nutritionally. Fresh, wholegrain flour made into pasta with beautiful local eggs is not only good for you, it will bring your taste and senses to a higher level.
    Reply
  13. Shagun says

    May 15, 2009 at 6:05 am

    Garofalo whole wheat pasta is THE BEST - your search will end here!!
    Reply
  14. Vee says

    December 28, 2009 at 10:30 pm

    I actually prefer whole wheat to regular pasta. It has a rich, nutty taste and I've completely stopped liking the white! Never thought it to be possible. :) Go (good) carbs!
    Reply
  15. April says

    February 17, 2010 at 10:48 pm

    I also prefer whole grain pastas to regular. I have not eaten white pasta in many years. My boyfriend however does not feel the same way. A way we have been able to compromise is with brown rice pasta. It seems to have the lightest taste of all of the whole grain pastas, and he can barely tell the difference between it and the white stuff. Trader Joe's makes a really good brown rice spaghetti.
    Reply
  16. Michelle says

    January 19, 2011 at 9:34 am

    Our family eats only whole grain products of any kind. Our favorite pasta brand is Barilla Plus. It has a wonderful flavor. It is made with a blend of whole wheat and legume flours. There is almost as much protein in a serving, as a serving of chicken. An extra plus for me - I am not much of a meat eater.
    Reply
  17. kzolady says

    January 31, 2011 at 12:57 pm

    I have been trying whole-wheat since the 1980s. It was not good (gritty) so I waited a few year, it was still not good (still gritty), to make a long story short, about 3 or 4 years ago I found Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole-Wheat Blend Pasta (good and not grainy) 2 years ago I found Barilla whole-grain linguine, It is my go to pasta.. It is really good. My favorite way to use it is with Prego whole mushroom sauce, mushrooms or broccoli, shredded mozzarella cheese and a MSF Chick Patty on top. It's like healthy comfort food. Some of their other forms of whole-grain pasta a a little hard to get to the el dente stage they seem to crack rather than chew..
    Reply
  18. Kay McGill says

    February 1, 2012 at 7:54 am

    Hodgson Mill has the best tasting whole wheat pasta I have tried, and I have tried many different ones. It has a certain taste, as well as having a strong, healthy consistency.
    Reply
  19. Bassel says

    July 22, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    Just tried Barilla... great in all aspects... :)))
    Reply
  20. Bob Vaiden says

    January 4, 2014 at 1:48 pm

    Unfortunately, most pasta (Heartland, Ronzoni) have dangerous levels of iron; I'm searching for any brand that DOESN'T poison its pasta with iron! Iron-fortified foods are deadly to (probably) a million people in this country. Misura Pasta is good in this respect...any others that anyone knows about?
    Reply
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