It’s a staple of almost every Australian’s diet these days and it would be a rare week when we didn’t tuck into a bowl of pasta.
As a country we have embraced bolognaise as a staple and these days one of my family favourites involves chicken, zucchini, and lemon. It’s a long way from the bowl of spaghetti and plain cheese (that ghastly stuff in a blue packet) of my youth.
But what is the best pasta? As an everyday food we should be mindful of keeping it healthy.
Here’s our guide with the help of Webmd.
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Wholemeal pasta
Very much like wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta contains far more fibre, vitamins, minerals and protein than normal pasta.
All the good stuff such as bran and endosperm are kept in the flour, so it adds to the general nutritional value.
This makes eating wholemeal pasta a virtuous meal, but it’s a pity about the flavour because it often tastes like cardboard.
It needs longer cooking, loads of extra flavour in the toppings and sauces to cover up that chewy mouthfeel.
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Chickpea pasta
Naturally, chickpea pasta has all the benefits of chickpeas, so loads of fibre, folate, magnesium and potassium. It’s great if you’re anaemic because a single serve can include up to 15 per cent of your daily iron intake. It’s also gluten free and holds a ‘wet’ sauce well, i.e. doesn’t turn to mush.
Soba noodles or buckwheat noodles
Despite its name, buckwheat is a seed rather than a grain and is rich in protein, fibre, B vitamins and minerals including niacin and magnesium.
Buckwheat noodles have been eaten in Asia for centuries and play a leading role in Japanese cuisine where they are known as soba noodles and are used in both hot and cold dishes.
They are also gluten free, but the flour is sometimes mixed with wheat flour so always check the ingredients if gluten is an issue in your diet.
Rice Noodles
One of the great things about Australians embracing Asian food is rice noodles, which are so versatile. They can be skinny or flat, boiled or fried, a side dish or part of a main serving, and every Southeast Asian country has a signature dish using rice noodles.
They also contain about 3g of protein per cup and only .4g of fat, as well as being high in selenium, an important mineral for thyroid health.
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Vegetable noodles
Vegetable noodles are a recent phenomenon but are now so common it’s possible to find them in most supermarkets.
It’s a great way to add an extra serving of vegetables to your diet and the most common type – zucchini – has about a third of your daily vitamin C requirements.
If you want to make fresh noodles at home, the easiest way is to use a mandolin slicer with a julienne attachment, or for the serious foodie, KitchenAid offers a spiraliser attachment for their mixers.
Try to keep the sauces light – pesto is ideal – as the vegetables easily absorb liquid and the dish can lose its light, bright appeal.
Top toppings
There’s not much point in making an effort to eat healthy pasta if your toppings are saturated in fat and don’t offer a healthy balance of protein and vegetables.
Always try to include lean meat and a good portion of vegetables in every serve.
For example, while bolognaise is heavy in meat, plenty of vegetables can be ‘hidden’ in the sauce. Finely chopped mushrooms become invisible once cooked and finely grated carrots and zucchini can add moisture as well as taste.
Do you enjoy an alternative to everyday pasta? Would you consider it? Why not share your tips in the comments section below?
