The Whole-Grain Pasta Primer

Consider this the healthy cook’s guide to pasta. How do whole-wheat varieties differ from those that are gluten-free? Which sauces works best—hearty meat sauces or a good oil and roasted veggies? Knowing the details, ingredients, textures, and numbers of your favorite whole-wheat and gluten-free pastas will change your Italian weeknight dinners for good.

• Whole-wheat pastas are thirsty. They absorb a lot more liquid than traditional white pasta, so be sure to keep extra pasta cooking water on hand when preparing. They work better in a very loose sauce, and lots of it.
• Serve immediately. The longer whole-grain pasta sits, the more sauce it will soak in.
• Whole-grain pasta includes the bran and germ part of the kernel, which lowers the percent of gluten in each noodle, making it structurally less sturdy than refined pasta, with a greater tendency to fall apart if it isn’t made well.

• Gluten-free (GF) pastas are weaker in structure. Traditional pasta is made from durum semolina, a hard wheat that’s naturally high in gluten—a protein that adds strength and structure to pasta. Pasta without gluten has a greater tendency to fall apart during cooking.
• Start checking for doneness a few minutes before the recommended cooking time. Most of the GF pastas we tested did not need to cook as long as the box directions stated.
• GF pasta does not make for good leftovers, especially if your sauce is very thin or loose. For best next-day success, keep pasta and sauce separate, and mix just before serving.

Just two: Whole-grain durum wheat flour and water. That’s it.

Many GF pastas are made from refined grains. We limited our discussion and tasting to those made with 100% whole grains—mostly brown rice and quinoa.

The Milling of the Wheat: A smaller particle size eliminates sandy texture and bitterness.

The Quality of the Wheat: Better wheat makes a better pasta.

The Drying and Extruding: If dried too quickly, pasta has a greater tendency to crumble after boiling. Extruding the dough through bronze dies (instead of Teflon) gives the pasta a rougher surface, allowing sauce to cling better to the noodle.

Brown Rice-Based Pasta: Brown rice pasta has a bright, springy texture with a slick mouthfeel. It’s a bit more forgiving if you boil this pasta past al dente; it’ll be less likely to dissolve into your sauce.

Quinoa-Based Pasta: Many quinoa pastas have refined grains added to improve texture. Those made with 100% quinoa rapidly shift from toothy to overcooked and crumbly, so be sure to taste often during the boiling process.

Per 2 ounces dried (about 1–1½ cups cooked)
CALORIES: 180 (fewer calories than most granola bars)
PROTEIN: 8g (more than an egg)
FIBER: 6g (the amount in 2 packets of oatmeal)
WHOLE GRAINS: 56g (more than 3 servings of whole grains)

Per 2 ounces dried (about 1–1½ cups cooked)
CALORIES: 200–210 calories
PROTEIN: Most GF varieties have 4g–5g per serving, about half that of whole-wheat pasta.
FIBER: 1g–4g (less than whole-wheat but more than a refined grain)
WHOLE GRAINS: 45g–56g

Whole-grain pasta has a low glycemic index (32–37, about half that of white bread). The lower the number, the longer it takes to digest, and the less it affects your blood sugar. Translation: You’ll stay fuller longer and have steady fuel to support energy levels.