Alternatives to Pasta

There's been a lot of talk about Depression-era cooking these days, but most of the "cheap recipes" I see online are pasta based. I have several problems with this:

1. White flour pasta is highly processed and not all that nutritious.

2. Pasta is a medium-glycemic food (depending upon the type of pasta). That means it makes your blood sugar spike, although not as much as say, white bread or rice. For most people, this means they feel sluggish a few hours after eating most pastas. For those with blood sugar issues, pasta is a food to eat rarely.



3. It's fattening. The amount of pasta most Americans eat in a single serving is high in calories and a great way to gain weight. (A single serving of pasta is supposed to be a 1/2 cup, cooked.) Many people also find that pasta packs on the pounds, even when eaten in moderation.

So lately, I've been looking for alternatives.


Veggies
Certain vegetables have such a mild taste, you can substitute them for pasta. Spaghetti squash is a popular choice for "faux spaghetti." To make it, cut the squash in half, using a sharp knife. Bake in a preheated oven set at 375 degree F., rind side down, for about 30 - 40 minutes. By running a fork through the baked flesh, you'll get spaghetti-shaped strands, which can be served with spaghetti sauce and meatballs. You may also use spaghetti squash in place of angel hair pasta, vermicelli, and other long, thin pastas.

Zucchini is another excellent choice. I make lasagna with zucchini sliced lengthwise and used in place of pasta - and my family prefers it. You can cut zucchini into nearly any shape and use it in place of pasta in just about any dish. If it needs to be pre-cooked, just boil it for about one minute, then place it in a bowl of ice water (or run very cold water over it) to keep it from over-cooking.

I've also used cabbage in place of egg noodles. If you slice it and cook it with a little cream in the water, the cabbage flavor disappears. However, using cabbage not my favorite option.

Asian Noodles
I haven't tried them yet, but shirataki noodles (sometimes called "yam noodles" or "Konnyaku") are extremely low in carbs and calories. They are made from the root of Amorphophallus Konjac plants and don't even require cooking.

Whole Wheat Pasta
We've tried this, and nobody in my family will eat it willingly. You can try mixing whole wheat pasta in with ordinary white flour pasta, but I think there are better alternatives. All that said, you should try whole wheat pasta. There are some people who like it!

Low Carb Pasta
Probably the most famous of these is the Dreamfields brand, which is often marketed to diabetics. Unlike most other low carb pastas I've tried, this stuff tastes almost like white flour pasta. Most people don't get a blood sugar spike after eating Dreamsfield, although a few diabetics experience spikes, especially if they reheat the pasta.

Multi Grain Pasta
There are a number of pasta brands on the market now selling multi-grain pastas. In our household, we eat Barilla PLUS, and all of us agree it tastes better than ordinary white flour pasta. It's not as healthy as using veggies as pasta or eating whole wheat pasta, but it has the added benefit of being a great source of Omega 3s, fiber, and protein.

UPDATE 3/15/12: Barilla has a new product now called Barilla Whole Grain. It's made with 50% whole wheat. My kids and I eat it happily; we can tell it's not white flour pasta, but it's still tasty. My husband doesn't care for it as much as Barilla PLUS, be he does eat it. It's a great alternative if you don't like the flavor and heaviness of 100% whole wheat pasta.

But Are They Cheap?
Since many of us eat pasta at least in part because it's a cheap way to feed the family, you may wonder if these alternatives are pocket-book friendly. Vegetable prices vary according to your region, but most grocery stores sell zucchini and spaghetti squash at prices comparable to pasta. You can also grow both of these squashes in your home garden for the cost of a packet of seeds and some water.

Multi grain and whole wheat pastas are also comparible in price to many white flour pasta, although they are a bit more expensive than the cheapest traditional pastas. Low carb pasta is slightly more expensive. Asian noodles might be comparable if you live in an area where Asian foods are common; in my part of the world, they are more expensive.

Rice as a cheap alternative for stretching meals is a possiblity, but even brown rice is higher on the glycemic index than most white flour pastas. A better meal-stretcher is beans: kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed beans, pinto, and baked beans are all quite low on the glycemic index.

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