In praise of wholewheat pasta.
March 20, 2011 by Robin Ellis
wholewheat spirrals
Our friend Rosemary Beau*, has pointed out in a comment, that I had not specified whether I use whole wheat pasta in the post for Penne in a tomato, rosemary and balsamic vinegar sauce.
She was right to mention it.
After my diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes, we changed from eating white to whole wheat pasta. Although of course we noticed the difference in texture, we quickly came to prefer whole wheat pasta. We like the taste.
It favours strong sauces, like the one mentioned above.
Many supermarkets stock it these days–I just bought some at the Holloway Road branch of Waitrose in London–but the shapes available in whole wheat are more limited than for regular pasta–so far.
From a health perspective, I feel more comfortable eating the whole wheat variety.
Research shows that the Glycemic Index [
GI] of unrefined pasta is lower than refined–which is no surprise . What is surprising is that the difference is not as great as one might imagine.
Anyway, a moderate helping of pasta a week is a delight that I’m not giving up–for the moment at least!
How “al dente” it’s cooked is a matter of taste.
In Italy you’d think it an arrestable offence to overcook pasta–they cook it very al dente. It does make for agreeably slower eating and as it takes longer to digest, it’s considered healthier.
Dishes made with the whole wheat variety are still a rarity in restaurants–though I was brought out of a jet lag daze last year when I spotted one at the end of the pasta offerings on a menu in New York City.
*We got to know Rosemary many years ago when we stayed at her warmly elegant B&B in the La Sologne area, south of Orleans in central France.
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Robin Ellis 
Wow Robin and Meredith, thanks a lot!
Not only have we abandoned white pasta, but white rice and bread, too. Be sure to check the ingredients when buying whole wheat pasta at the supermarket. Here in France they cheat…sometimes it says whole wheat and when you read the label it is only about 57% with the rest white flour. Also, I found some quinoa pasta the other day. It was a marvelous treat!
Hi Judy!-thanks for that–I will check the label carefully next time I buy pasta.
I shall also try quinoa pasta. I like quinoa as an alternative to rice. It cooks quickly and is a healthy potion.
p.s. By Association is me…Judy…
I just wanted to leave a comment and say that I am trying all your recipes as you post them. All the ingredients seem to be easily obtained here in Oregon. My husband is going to be 68 years old and has sufferred from various health problems. His natureopath doctor has given him an excellent diet, that is very compatible to the foods you talk about here.
Thanks and I hope the recipes continue to be helpful.
I like to call it ‘a way of eating’ rather than a ‘diet’–which notoriously don’t last!
…and, as we live n the country, too, we also have easy access to eggs and fresh herbs and vegetables daily. I am always wondering what to do with an excess of tomatoes, cucumbers and potatoes.
That is true. His doctor told him it was not a diet but a life style and it would have to be for the rest of his life.