I’m trying to make the leap to whole wheat pasta. I’ve had it before, but I’m not too keen on it. Though I enjoy whole wheat bread, there are foods that just call for a slice of Italian. For whole wheat pasta, maybe the secret is hiding the taste. At least, that’s what I’m trying today.
My lunch consists of pasta Alfredo with broccoli and red grapes. Once again, I went with Whole Foods’ store brand 365 for the pasta. The Classico brand Alfredo sauce wasn’t enough to mask the taste of the grainy wheat pasta, so I added Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper. I know ... what a calorie catastrophe. Marinara would have been smarter.
Meatless Monday lunch #4 - Red grapes and Alfredo pasta with broccoli
So, you might ask, “If you don’t like whole wheat pasta, why bother?” Well, I eat too much pasta. Farfalle. Shells. Penne. Elbow macaroni. Heaven comes in many shapes. I love ordering chicken Parmesan pasta, pesto pasta and baked macaroni and cheese at restaurants. Pasta is an inexpensive and always satisfying--unless it’s wheat--dish to make at home too.
According to the Mayo Clinic, whole wheat is packed with protein and fiber that will help give me the full feeling that I miss on Meatless Mondays. I didn’t finish my pasta today, for whatever reason. Maybe it’s because the wheat pasta filled me up!
Anyway, I found a website written by like-minded individuals who think whole wheat pasta tastes like soft cardboard noodles. Chow.com gave DaVinci pasta the best marks for taste. So, before I swear off whole wheat pasta forever, I guess I have to give DaVinci.
By the way, NPR aired a story about Meatless Mondays last week. Check it out: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129025298
Post and photo by Estelle Tran
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