Happy New Year guys! We are so excited to be back writing for Nature’s Fare Markets. This year we hope you stay tuned to our monthly review of family related products within the stores. We promise to provide you with honest and sincere feedback that reflects what my family and I think about the products.
To kick off our very first month we are reviewing a family favourite in our home – PASTA!
On today’s menu we have:
- nuPasta – Konjac Angel Hair
- daiya – Deluxe Style Alfredo
- Explore Cuisine – Organic Edamame Spaghetti
nuPasta – Konjac Angel Hair
Ok, so let me be the first to admit I was totally drawn into this pasta initially by its pretty packaging. I know – sorry! It’s the marketing side of my brain speaking to me (lol). So let’s get to the facts.
This pasta is low calorie (hello) Gluten-Free, and non GMO. It’s made from soy beans and the root of a Konjac plant. What’s a Konjac plant? I know, I had no idea either. “A Konjac plant can grow up to 8 inches and grows as a root. Fresh Konjac root is a type of tuber, similar to yam and taro but oval in shape. The root of a Konjac plant is dried and milled into a fine powder called Konjac flour, the main ingredient of NuPasta”.
Ok this next part blew me away….1 plate of “regular” pasta (approx. 210g) has over 300 calories and only 2g of fibre. The SAME amount of nuPasta has 25 calories and 6g of fibre. WHAT!!!!! Now, I bet you’re wondering what it tastes like right!? Well….it’s good. Like, really good!
Preparing the noodles was a breeze too because you don’t boil, stir, try, boil some more, etc. Simply tear back the top seal, drain the liquid, rinse, add to an already pre-heated sauce pan and add your favourite pasta sauce. We used Simply Natural Organic Tomato & Basil sauce for a quick, easy and delicious meal.
Total Preparation: As fast as you can recite the alphabet.
daiya – Deluxe Style Alfredo
For those of you that are already familiar with daiya you know that all daiya products are dairy, gluten and soy free. My family and I were already familiar with their shredded cheese products so we were really excited to try their highly talked about Deluxe Style Alfredo.
Made with brown rice pasta, each serving contains about 300 calories. One package of daiya Deluxe Style Alfredo should be enough for a family of 4. I wasn’t sure about this one, mainly because I am not a big fan of the old mac and cheese in a box, and especially when I took out the creamy package from the box. But, I was so wrong. This dish actually tastes gourmet and all the hype I’ve been hearing about this product is true. It’s delicious! The overall look and appearance I would sum up as thick and creamy. Everyone in my household loved it, including those who were not that anxious to try a similar mac and “cheese” that was “dairy free”. We will definitely be making this a staple in our home.
Preparing this meal was super easy too. Simply boil the noodles. Cook till al dente and then squeeze out the contents in the packages. Stir or fold the sauce into the noodles, and serve.
Total Preparation: As easy as 1, 2, 3.
Explore Cuisine Organic Edamame Spaghetti
Finally, our last review was the Explore Cuisine Organic Edamame Spaghetti. This one I was super anxious to try and taste. Edamame Spaghetti, who wouldn’t want to try it? When pasta is served in your home at least 2x a week, the thought of offering something “different” when it comes to noodles makes me smile! This company is actually known for its vegan, organic and gluten free options, and they have a huge variety — from bean noodles to rice noodles.
Hand crafted from edamame beans, this pasta contains over half your daily intake of protein and over 200 calories per serving. For a family of 4 I would suggest two boxes of this pasta.
When I chose this product I knew I had to look for some sort of topping or sauce to go with this dish. I wanted something easy to make, would taste delicious and the whole family would love. I choose a pesto option by, Simply Organic (Sweet Basil Pesto).
Once the noodles were ready, I added the already prepared pesto sauce, poured over top of the noodles and………….
Well at first I wasn’t sure, LOL, and then I realized I had overcooked the noodles. The overall taste wasn’t as overpowering as I had feared and, even overcooked, the pasta tasted like edamame beans. Unfortunately, without the pesto sauce the dish would have been no more than just blah. That’s not to say it can’t be useful but you have to think about what kind of topping or sauce will make it work for you. I’m curious as to what other sauces work well with this dish, so if you have created something delicious at home, please share with us here!
Total Preparation: Follow the package instructions and DO NOT overcook like I did!
All 3 pastas ended up being great choices and even though I need to experiment a little more with the Edamame Bean Spaghetti, it a healthy option and something different in my home.
Have you tried any of the above? We would love to hear from you. Share with us your feedback below!
Till next month,
Xx, Natalie Grant (Founder + Creative Director of BOOMBALOO).
