Ask a Dietitian

Pasta is often mistaken as one of those foods that we need to cut back on due to recent diet fads promoting low-carb diets.  However, despite common misconceptions, pasta, and in particular whole grain pasta has many attributes that add to a healthy diet.  Just pay attention to portions and toppings.  Pasta need not be the whole meal but instead, part of the meal.  Serve it with salad and grilled fish and you are eating the Mediterranean way.

Barilla, an authentic Italian pasta company, has just released Barilla Plus.  This pasta is multigrain with added protein and omega 3’s, is a good source of fibre and is low in sodium (35mg).  It looks and tastes just like regular white pasta but delivers 27% more protein and 20% more fibre than traditional pasta. One 85g serving (1.5cups cooked)  provides 310kcal, 60% DV thiamin, 20% niacin, 25% iron, 25% riboflavin and 100% folate.

Fibre:

Barilla Plus pasta uses semolina, spelt, barley, oats and oat fibre as well as flaxseeds, chickpeas and lentils to provide 6g of fibre per 85g serving. (1.5c cooked pasta).  We need 25-38g of fibre per day and now pasta can help us get there.  Toss on 1 cup of a tomato vegetable sauce and you’ll get an additional 5g of fibre.  Add in 1/2c chickpeas for another 6g and you are almost there with just one meal.

Protein:

Barilla Plus is also a good source of protein, providing 14g of high quality protein per 85g serving.  The protein comes from ingredients such as chickpeas, lentils and egg whites.

Omega 3 fats:

Barilla Plus uses flaxseeds as a source of omega 3 fat providing 0.3g of omega 3 per 85g serving.  Increasing our intake of omega 3s and other mono and polyunsaturated fats is recommended by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

Cooking:

Cooking Barilla Plus takes a bit longer than traditional pasta due to the higher protein content.  For penne cook 11-12 minutes and for spaghettini cook 8-9 minutes.

Meal Ideas:

Penne: Serve with sautéed cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and crushed garlic along with grilled salmon fillet and spinach salad

Rotini: serve leftover rotini with cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, purple onion, feta and olives for a Greek pasta salad to take to the beach.

Spaghetti: toss with prawns and asparagus sautéed in garlic and olive oil.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Serve with butter lettuce and grapefruit salad.

Spaghettini: Top with a light cream cheese and Greek yogurt clam sauce with loads of parsley, diced onion and a touch of white wine.  Serve with grilled peppers, zucchini and eggplant.