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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. Jason says

    April 10, 2008 at 6:02 pm

    Corinne and I found two boxes of that same whole wheat spaghetti in the pantry last Sunday when we cleaned it out. No mizithra in the pantry, which was good.
    Reply
  2. Nicole says

    April 10, 2008 at 6:05 pm

    Well hopefully you didn't throw it out because it's pretty good stuff! And if you had left mizithra in your pantry, you probably would have smelled it before you saw it...
    Reply
  3. Karina says

    April 10, 2008 at 6:50 pm

    Ah- wheat pasta. For those of us who can't indulge it is a vague memory. But I can relate on the "health food" focus. These days, the only pasta I can handle is brown rice, or rice with corn. But you know what? It's not all that bad. You don't have to pity me. Seriously. ;)
    Reply
  4. chris says

    April 10, 2008 at 6:54 pm

    I have tried a couple of different types and Heartland has been my favorite. Some of the brands get kind of slimy and taste....blah. This one doesn't. I have never had mizithra cheese - that I have known of....thanks for the note about its saltiness!
    Reply
  5. Jamie says

    April 10, 2008 at 7:16 pm

    Welcome back! I've been checking my Google Reader waiting for a post from you. I love Heartland angel hair pasta. It is my standard pasta for my spaghetti and meatballs. Barilla makes a good whole grain pasta that I use as well.
    Reply
  6. bethany actually says

    April 10, 2008 at 7:52 pm

    I'll have to look for the Heartland. I've been using Trader Joe's whole-grain spaghetti for a couple of years now and I love it. If you didn't know you were eating whole-grain pasta, you wouldn't know!
    Reply
  7. Kalyn says

    April 10, 2008 at 7:54 pm

    I mostly buy Dreamfield's pasta, which is low carb but tastes just like regular pasta (honest.) However recently at Costco I stumbled on some Garofalo organic whole wheat spagetti (from Italy!) that I'm going nuts over, it's so fantastic. I don't think I've seen Heartland brand here. Someone recommended Barilla Plus (with omega 3's) and I bought some angelhair, but haven't tried it yet.
    Reply
  8. Claudia (cook eat FRET) says

    April 10, 2008 at 7:58 pm

    de cecco's is excellent and many folks swear by bionature
    Reply
  9. Christie says

    April 10, 2008 at 9:04 pm

    Hi, I'm new to your site! Its taken a lot for me to get used to whole wheat pasta. I like Ronzoni whole wheat wide egg noodles and I like Ronzoni Smart Taste (it's not really whole wheat but it has A LOT of fiber).
    Reply
  10. Joy says

    April 10, 2008 at 10:39 pm

    I'm the same as you. About 3 or four years ago when I first tried buying whole and multigrain pastas, I felt like being the health nut. Aside from that, I wasn't too satisfied with the quality of the pasta -- they turned out too mushy when cooked and the taste was interfering with whatever I used it with (sauce, etc.). Until recently, I avoided it. The one that I recently bought here in Vancouver, Catelli brand, is so good that I've eaten it for the past 3 days! Haha. I'll try Heartland sometime next week. I saw that earlier at the supermarket. :) I love how simple this recipe is. Looks really yummy, too! Btw, CUUUUTE plate!
    Reply
  11. Jenni says

    April 10, 2008 at 11:08 pm

    Thanks for the tip, my husband (whom is not very vocal about likes and dislikes when it comes to food) informed me the other day that he "DOES NOT" like whole wheat spaghetti! I was a little bummed since I don't mind it and I still have lots in my cupboard. Maybe we just need to try a new brand :)
    Reply
  12. Nupur says

    April 11, 2008 at 3:52 am

    I love Trader Joe's multigrain spaghetti with flaxseed. We love it so much that I even use it in place of noodles in Asian dishes.
    Reply
  13. Sadhbh says

    April 11, 2008 at 5:33 am

    Im not sure if you can get it outside of Ireland, but I find that Bunalun organic wholewheat pasta is great! I used to hate anything wholewheat but its definitely about trying different brands and seeing which one you like - otherwise there's just no point!!
    Reply
  14. TomC says

    April 11, 2008 at 6:54 am

    Now that's what i call great vegetarian food, whole wheat pasta is one of my favorites
    Reply
  15. Deborah says

    April 11, 2008 at 8:28 am

    We actually eat a lot of whole wheat pasta. I like it all, except the lasagna noodles - I haven't found any of those that I like!! And pasta with mizithra and butter is one of my favorites! I have it often when I'm just preparing dinner for myself. So easy and so good!
    Reply
  16. Laura says

    April 11, 2008 at 9:08 am

    I use Heartland Whole Grain every time I cook - cooks up well and tastes great! Such as easy substitution for eating healthier!
    Reply
  17. Nicole says

    April 11, 2008 at 11:28 am

    Thanks for the feedback, everyone! You're definitely introducing me to some brands I've never tried before! christie: Thanks for the tip about the egg noodles! I've never tried any whole wheat egg noodles...maybe I'll try them in some tuna casserole! Nupur: I'll definitely pick up some of Trader Joe's mutigrain spaghetti next time I'm there. I actually prefer using whole grain pastas in asian dishes rather than Italian. I think the flavors work better for some reason.
    Reply
  18. pam says

    April 11, 2008 at 7:09 pm

    I really like Barilla Plus, which is a multi-grain, with flax and other healthy stuff.
    Reply
  19. Karina says

    April 11, 2008 at 7:31 pm

    For those seeking a whole grain pasta without wheat, try Tinkyada brown rice pasta with rice bran. It's delicious, and gluten-free. I use it all the time. I find it at Whole Foods and Wild Oats.
    Reply
  20. Steph says

    April 12, 2008 at 11:53 am

    Thats the brand of wheat pasta we use! We have been using it for a while now. Love it.
    Reply
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