Is there a really good tasting whole grain pasta?

[CTyankee]

I mean in most supermarkets, not little gourmet stores.

Every time I get one I am disappointed. They just don't taste that good. Surely somebody has come out with a better tasting product...

[Warpy]

1. I've never found the flavor problematic

The texture and color are both off putting, though. The former is because they just don't grind the bran finely enough and the latter is just part of the beast.

One pasta company has put out a whole grain pasta with an extremely finely ground bran that has the same texture as white pasta, truly amazing stuff. I have only seen it once and I can't remember the name, alas. That's what you're looking for.

[cbayer]

2. I agree. I have never found one that I really liked.

I gave up trying, as I would just end up throwing it away.

:hi:

[Stinky The Clown]

3. Ronzoni Healthy Harvest is the best I've ever found.

What is it you're trying to get with "whole grain" pasta? I ask because there are other regular pasta alternatives. Dreamfields tastes pretty much like regular pasta but "locks" out the carbs and is even okay for diabetics.

[grasswire]

4. we like the ronzoni rotini

I think it's just a matter of considering them as two different animals. Whole wheat noodles, semolina pasta. Just two different animals.

Re: Dreamfields. The taste isn't *quite* the same as regular pasta, but it sure has made life easier for me. I can actually eat a cup of rotini and cheese or a plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce using Dreamfields and feed my fam at the same time.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Hehehe

As a person who has eaten macaroni for his entire life and considers it a food group, I could not agree more. It isn't *quite* the same, but as "alternative" pastas go, it is probably the best.

[CTyankee]

6. I love Dreamfields but the selection I get in my supermarket is limited to

spaghetti and angel hair. I'll have to start searching around for stores that carry more of a variety.

It's the best one anyway for my husband's blood sugar level...

[grasswire]

7. all we have is rotini, penne, and spaghetti

No angel hair.

I know they make lasagne, but it's not on the shelf.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. We get elbows, rotini, spaghetti, and angel hair.

They make a lot more varieties.

[CTyankee]

14. I know. Stop and Shop used to carry the linguine, which I make all the time but

lately I haven't even found that...

[The empressof all]

20. I am hording a Dreamfields Lasagna

I'm gonna make a Butternut Squash Lasagna for Thanksgiving.

[pengillian101]

8. Is there a really good tasting whole grain pasta?

Nope.

;-)

[The empressof all]

9. Yes

Garafalo whole wheat organic at Costco. It's excellent but they only carry the Spaghetti. Barilla Plus and Barilla whole grain are also excellent.

[marybourg]

11. See what the NY Times says today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/dining/13appe.html?hpw

[elleng]

13. Beat me to it!

[AwakeAtLast]

12. I like Barilla Plus

and more importantly, my picky daughter like it, too!

[CTyankee]

Is it super chewy? That's what puts me off of whole wheat pastas usually...nt

[elleng]

16. Ah, gommoso!!!!

:hug:

[CTyankee]

17. Hi, ellen...me and gommoso, not so much!

[elleng]

18. Gotcha! Me and al dente, MUCH!!!

Lidia discussed this, along with the several words on the subject, last weekend, I think.

[CTyankee]

19. Did she say anything about whole wheat pasta? nt

[elleng]

21. Nope, I think was discussing consistency of 'fresh' pasta she made,

not whole wheat tho, so gave us all a lesson in the langua non-franca!!!

[CTyankee]

15. Is it super chewy? That's what puts me off of whole wheat pastas usually...nt

[hedgehog]

22. I like the Bionaturae even though it is imported from Italy

(so much for being a locovore!)

You have to be sure to boil it long enough to go from crunchy to al dente. I'm so used to it now that white pasta tends to taste bland to me.

http://www.bionaturae.com/pasta.html

[spinbaby]

23. I like Barilla

You do have to cook it a bit longer, but it's pretty good.

[Denninmi]

24. Quinoa pasta is fantastic.

It tastes and basically looks like regular semolina pasta -- no, actually, I think it tastes better. There is something I really like about the texture, too -- it's the same, but yet slightly gelatinous, but in a really good way. I can't really explain it, I just know I've bought it a few times and really liked it. I'd buy it a lot more if it weren't so ungodly expensive, like $3.50 - $4 for a small box.

http://www.quinoa.net/145/163.html

[alfredo]

25. I mix it with regular pasta.

[csziggy]

26. I've been using the Barilla whole grains pasta

And while the flavor is different, I like it. I just wish they had more shapes.

[The empressof all]

27. They have a line of about 6 in the whole grain

Ask your grocer to order what they don't stock. I really wish they'd make a lasagna

http://www.barillaus.com/Pages/Products-Landing.aspx?WT.mc_id=040110_barilla_whole_grain_pasta_Google&WT.srch=1

[csziggy]

28. The local stores stock the full range - but I'd like some of those cute bowties

or the little open shells. All Barilla has is a variety of vermicelli sizes and penne, rotini and sea shell looking things.

Ahhh - Barilla does have farfelle (bowties) in their PLUS line of pasta. I'll have to see if the local stores carry that product line.

I forget what brand of lasagna whole grain I had - it was good, but it did not work well with my preferred method of making lasagna without precooking the pasta. By the time we reheated it, the pasta was fine, but the first day it was a little more al dente than I like.