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Everything You Need To Know About Chickpea Pasta

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Nothing says comfort food quite like a big bowl of pasta with a delicious, homemade sauce–preferably marinara or Bolognese. For many, the star of the show will always be the sauce. Pasta is a vehicle for sauce, for sure, and typically its neutral taste is the ideal accompaniment to the sauce, as the flavor doesn't detract and the delicate flavor doesn't detract from the sauce and the delicate texture is quite pleasing. 

Unfortunately, pasta can sometimes leave you feeling weighed down. For people who are looking for ways to cut back on carbohydrates or eliminate gluten, pasta often gets the boot. Because of its nutritional content, however, chickpea pasta may be the perfect swap!

Chickpea Pasta 101 

Chickpeas are members of the legume family and are full of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Chickpeas are ground down into chickpea flour to make the pasta. Many brands may also add pea or brown rice starch which helps with the overall texture of the product. 

Because chickpeas have a relatively neutral color and flavor, chickpea pasta looks and tastes very similar to regular pasta. Some notice a slight nutty flavor that is less obvious with the addition of a flavorful sauce. Chickpea pasta (or any bean-based pasta) can have a slightly grainy texture that may be reminiscent of whole wheat pasta, however.

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian and author of Health Shots, suggests "Many varieties of sauces pair well with chickpea pasta including pesto sauce, meat sauce, marinara or a lighter cream sauce. You can also add flavorful ingredients like olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers or basil to help balance the nutty flavor and chewy texture of the pasta."

You prepare this type of pasta the same way as regular pasta, except you might notice that the water becomes foamy when the pasta boils. That's because different starches and proteins are released from chickpeas while cooking. Tips to reduce the foam include adding more water to the pan, lowering the cooking temperature and removing foam from the pan as it forms. 

Related: 10 Recipes that Use Chickpea Flour

Chickpea Pasta vs. Traditional Pasta   

Chickpea pasta offers more protein and fiber and fewer carbohydrates than a typical pasta. It's also gluten-free, making it a great choice for consumers with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities. 

A two-ounce serving of a popular brand of chickpea pasta contains 190 calories, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 11 grams of protein and five grams of fiber. Meanwhile, a two-ounce serving of traditional semolina pasta provides 200 calories, 42 grams of carbohydrates, seven grams of protein, and three grams of fiber.

In addition, chickpea pasta is a good source of iron, providing about 20 percent of the Daily Value per two-ounce serving. It's also higher in other vitamins and minerals including potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus, and is a better source of essential fatty acids.

If you're looking to boost your nutrition when eating pasta or need to ditch traditional semolina pasta, chickpea pasta may be healthier for you.

More Delicious Ways to Eat Chickpeas

The post Everything You Need to Know About Chickpea Pasta appeared first on Clean Plates.

I Tried Pasta Made From Chickpeas That Has Half The Carbs Of Regular Wheat Noodles — And This Stuff Is The Real Deal

Banza noodles are pasta noodles made from chickpeas.

They taste like the real deal but have 25g of protein, 13g of fiber, and 40% fewer net carbs than traditional pasta.

I try to eat healthy when possible but am not committed enough to sacrifice taste. Banza noodles are so good, though, that they're all I buy. I prefer them to whole wheat noodles.

In four years, they've become Whole Food's best-selling pasta and Target's second best-selling pasta.

You can find Banza at most stores: Walmart, Target, Thrive Market and Amazon for $3 per box.

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Have you ever heard someone pose the question, "If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?" and heard the quippy reply, "For pasta not to have any calories?"

Well, it doesn't have zero calories yet, but healthy pasta alternatives have made the traditional indulgence much better for you. However, some of those healthy alternatives are undeniably better than others, and the general consensus is that Banza is the best.

Made out of chickpeas, Banza noodles have 25 grams of protein, 13 grams of fiber, and 40% fewer net carbs than traditional pasta. And they taste like the real deal.

It sounds too good to be true, but Banza noodles let you eat something that feels undeniably indulgent — like a warm bowl of rigatoni — that is actually healthy. 

Due to a general allegiance to meals that are somewhat "healthy-ish" but don't require more than 15 minutes of prep time, I've been a whole wheat pasta-eater at least two to three nights a week for the past year. When a colleague mentioned Banza and how much she loved it, I bought a box fully expecting to be disappointed the same inevitable way that kids who stay up to catch their parents as Santa Claus are.

As Banza's co-founder Brian Rudolph understands, "There's something special about pasta — people love it on an emotional level" — and that opens the door for shoppers to either enthusiastically embrace an outsider such as Banza, or vehemently shun it.

But even though I'm not gluten-free, vegan, or anything close to a healthy-eating zealot willing to put up with soggy noodles, I can honestly say Banza is the only pasta I buy now. It's nearly indistinguishable to traditional options, but you can eat almost twice as much for the same net carbs.

This seems to follow from how the founders conceptualize who the Banza pasta eater actually is. While it can appeal to a wide range of dietary needs — from those with gluten allergies to vegans seeking plant-based protein to diabetics looking for low glycemic options — it's also fundamentally just a great option for "anyone who loves food and seeks a healthier lifestyle." Banza is a solution for folks who are tired of eating healthy at the expense of foods they love — which even includes Mac & Cheese. 

You can use them in all of the traditional dishes you love to eat without compromising on taste. Banza

It's probably not going to replace wheat noodles for you completely if you're a hardcore pasta-lover, but it is nearly indistinguishable with a sauce on top.

Banza noodles don't taste "healthy" to me; I actually far prefer them, based on taste alone, to whole wheat noodles.

In terms of cons, you can definitely overcook them (I usually aim for a minute under the recommended amount), and it's a bit more expensive (a box is ~ $3), but the protein, fiber, and low-cal aspect justifies those inconveniences for me.

If you don't trust my palette, it seems many more people are growing wise to the fact that Banza actually makes good on its near-mythical claims. Since launching in stores in 2014, Banza has been picked up by big-time national grocers like Whole Foods and Target, and since then became the #1 best-selling pasta at Whole Foods and the #2 pasta overall in Targets nationwide. The company is also featured in a partnership between Jet.Com and CircleUp (an investment platform for small businesses) spotlighting startups poised for big future breakthroughs.

Banza noodles come in virtually every shape you could want. Amazon

In other words, Banza has managed to do two things I didn't have much faith in: make a healthy alternative to pasta that tastes good, and then also convince paying customers of that feat.

Rudolph readily admits, though, that it has not always been easy.

The company unwittingly began in his kitchen a year after graduating college as a personal project to make his favorite food healthier to eat, and he teamed up with his brother Scott after his homemade chickpea noodles got such enthusiastic fanfare from friends. But the two quickly learned that scaling Brian's recipe from small-batch kitchen runs to large-scale production wasn't easy — "I was 23 and had no experience in food."

The process involved countless nights at the manufacturing facility before Banza got to the place it is now. And, perhaps because the founders are outsiders, that process of betterment and adaptation has never really left Banza. AsRudolph told Business Insider, "To this day, we're laser-focused on taking customer feedback, and continually improving our product."

I prefer Banza noodles to whole wheat noodles by a wide margin. Banza

Banza, short for garbanzo (another name for chickpea), has experienced pretty incredible success for a healthy food alternative to something as emotionally involved as pasta, but the Rudolphs say there's a long way to go, and hint at future revolution to go-to meals.

"Our mission is to make nutritious food more accessible — by taking the foods people already love, and making them better. Our goal has always been to change pasta the way Chobani changed yogurt, and we have a long way to go for half of all pasta to be made from beans. Longer term, beyond pasta, we want to continue to reinvent other staple foods that people love to make them more nutritious."

But even if they can't make chocolate chip cookies that erase wrinkles, Banza has already made a delicious pasta with 2x the protein, 3x the fiber, and nearly half the carbs of traditional noodles. They've done their bit for the common good.

Whether you're a vegan on a mission or the average person who loves food but wouldn't mind a healthier lifestyle, Banza noodles should, in my opinion, absolutely be the next thing you try.

Shop Banza noodles starting at $2.88 at Target, Walmart, Amazon, and Thrive Market.

Mara Leighton

Senior Digital Culture Reporter

Pasta E Ceci (Pasta And Chickpea Soup)

Pasta e Ceci (Pasta and Chickpea Soup) In this dense, toffee-colored version of pasta e ceci, half the soup is blended until creamy so it coats the folds of pasta. Double the quantity and it makes an easygoing and generous meal for a crowd—also accommodating, as you can make it during the day, then reheat and add and cook the pasta when it suits you and the crowd. To serve, zigzag with some of your best olive oil.

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

serves: 4

Ingredients

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve

1 onion, finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 small potato, peeled and diced (optional)

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Small pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

5½ cups water

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Parmesan rind (optional)

7 ounces fresh lagane pasta or dried broken tagliatelle

Directions

Drain and rinse chickpeas. In a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat, warm olive oil, add onions and celery, and cook gently until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Add potato, if using, rosemary, tomato paste and red pepper flakes, stir, and cook for a minute before adding chickpeas. Add water, salt and Parmesan rind, if using. Increase heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 25 minutes.

Remove half the soup from the pan and either blend it or pass it through a food mill. Return blended soup to pan.

Remove Parmesan rind and discard. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Set pan over medium-high heat and bring soup to a steady but moderate boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring, until pasta is tender, adding a little more water if necessary. Taste to check the seasoning and season with black pepper. Serve with a little more olive oil poured over the top.

Adapted from 'An A-Z of Pasta' by Rachel Roddy (Alfred A. Knopf)

This recipe was published in:

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