Wednesday’s Helping: Multigrain Pastas

Noodling over a healthier option Whole wheat and multigrain pastas have exploded in popularity as more nutritious alternatives to white pasta. When al dente, these pastas are usually browner and chewier, giving each biteful a little extra oomph that actually contributes to a dish's flavor. The quality and taste of these pastas has improved. They’re just as good -- some might say even better than -- as white pasta. Barilla Plus, Trader Joe’s Organic, and Nature’s Promise are just three brands of this healthier pasta. Consumer demand means that most brands are selling multigrain pasta in many different shapes and sizes, such as linguine, penne, farfalle, etc. The pastas are made with whole semolina flour instead of more refined semolina flour and that means more fiber per serving when compared with regular pasta. Barilla, for example, adds flaxseed and barley to the recipe for Barilla Plus pastas. What do you think of these pastas?