Whole-Wheat Pasta

By dyannucci

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from cooksillustrated.com

Preparation

Step 1

Whole-Wheat Pasta - Cook's Illustrated

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Whole-Wheat Pasta

Whole-wheat pasta used to be awful, with mushy texture an a cardboard taste. Have manufacturers finally figured out how to make it rival white pasta?

Bionaturae Organic 100% Whole Wheat Spaghetti

Tasters lauded this 100 percent whole-wheat spaghetti for its "earthy," "wheaty," "nutty," "full" flavor, which was "heartier than white pasta, without being too wheaty." It also boasted a "pleasantly chewy,' "firm" texture. Its "good blend of whole-wheat flavor and regular-pasta texture" complemented the pesto and didn't overwhelm the marinara.

This spaghetti earned accolades for its "buttery," "smooth," "springy," "firm" texture. Only 21 percent whole grain, it tasted "the most like white pasta" of any in the lineup, serving as a "neutral" background for marinara and pesto. But tasters wondered, "Is this really whole wheat?"

Enriched durum semolina, whole wheat durum flour

It's no surprise that this spaghetti "doesn't taste like whole wheat pasta," as it contains no whole grains. Tasters enjoyed the "mildly nutty, wheaty" taste that was "similar to white pasta," along with its "firm, chewy" texture (though a few found the texture "stiff").

Semolina, grain and legume flour blend (lentils, chickpeas, egg whites, spelt, barley, flaxseed, oat fiber, oats), durum flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid

Enriched semolina, grain and legume flour blend (lentils, egg whites, oat fiber, flaxseed, whole grain barley flour, whole oat flour)

Gia Russa 100% Whole Wheat Spaghetti

Tossed with pesto, this spaghetti was "nutty and robust," but plain, it was likened to eating "wheat germ" and tasted "a little sour." With marinara, the overpowering wheat flavor seemed "milder." Though it had "good chew," many felt it was "gritty," "like cardboard."

Whole-wheat durum flour

DaVinci 100% Whole Wheat Spaghetti

This spaghetti had "good flavor," but "not much whole-wheat flavor." When paired with marinara and pesto, it had a "neutral," "subtle wheat taste," but tasters couldn't get past the "gummy," "doughy," "sticky" texture: "Mushy, mushy, mushy!"

Whole durum wheat semolina

Its heavy "bran" flavors were "not terrible," but made this "hippie-food" spaghetti taste "more like oats than wheat." The "skinny" strands cooked up "mealy," and "mushy." Tasters commented that its "sandpaper," "gritty," "stale" texture was "like old bread."

Whole durum wheat flour, semolina, durum wheat flour, oat fiber

The crystallized cane juice in this spaghetti gave it a "pronounced sweetness," like "honey-wheat bread," overpowering the marinara and pesto. It also tasted slightly "sour" and "rancid." Its "wallpaper-paste" texture was like "eating shaggy carpet."

Whole grain wheat, whole grain brown rice, whole grain oats, wheat gluten, crystallized cane juice, soybean oil, natural flavoring, wheat bran

Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Pasta Blend

Durum whole wheat flour and semolina blend, whole flaxseed meal, wheat fiber, thiamine mononitrate, niacin, riboflavin, iron, folic acid

Deboles Organic Whole Wheat Spaghetti Style Pasta

Organic durum whole wheat flour, organic Jerusalem artichoke flour