I just tried Barilla Plus Spaghetti, from the new pasta line from Italian pastamaker Barilla. It was surprisingly good. It’s a little bit darker (and the spaghettis seemed cut a little thinner) than regular Barilla pasta, but it tasted pretty much the same. That’s not too surprising as its main ingredient is still semolina – but what makes this pasta special is that the semolina is mixed in with a mix of ground lentils, chick peas, oats, spelt, barley and flaxseeds) which give the pasta extra fiber and protein (4g of fiber and 10g of protein per 2 oz portion). The flaxseeds also give it a lot of omega3. The pasta still has a lot of carbs (38g) and calories (200), but it does seem a healthier alternative to regular pasta. For me it’s particularly enticing as Mika doesn’t like sauce on her pasta, so when she eats it she has it plain – which doesn’t do much for balanced nutrition.
Anyway, I think it was about 2.50 at Safeway for a 1lb box – expensive but I think worth it. I’ll definitely continue buying it.
I’m running a marathon this January and I wanted to try this Barilla PLUS Pasta the night before some of my long runs… I live in New York and I haven’t been able to find it around here…. Any ideas on how I can find this stuff?
Thanks…
I live in Hoboken and I found it at ShopRite. I haven’t eaten it yet, so I can’t say it’s worth crossing the Hudson for. However, I have also tried Ronzoni healthy request and it seems to have pretty similar nutritional value.
I love Barilla plus, can’t taste a difference and so much better for you. It’s a whole lot cheaper at Walmart…I think I paid $1.37!
I eat Barilla Plus angel hair several times a week with just a little olive oil, some fresh grated parmesan, and fresh broccoli. Also a bit of salt and some pepper.
I think it is absolutely delicious.
If, however, you buy the rotini or other thick kinds, you need to cook them a bit longer than usual so that they get all the way done.
The Barilla Plus pasta is not made in Italy. It is made in the United States and only for the U.S. market (and Canadian). This pasta would not stand up to Italian standards. It would never sell there.