6 reasons you’ll love legume-based pasta

Pasta is pretty much a food group around our house — it’s easy to make, delicious to eat and everyone loves it. But instead of strictly relying on wheat-based noodles, we’ve been working legume-based options into our meal routine and let’s just say, the reviews are amazing.

Legume-based pasta is like traditional pasta but rather than being made from semolina (also known as durum wheat flour), it’s made from flour ground from legumes like dried chickpeas, red lentils, green lentils, and green peas. And while it doesn’t taste exactly like semolina-based pasta, there are plenty of yummy reasons to give it a try:

1. It’s packed with protein. Since these noodles are made from legumes, they naturally contain plant protein. A 3.5-ounce serving of Barilla's red lentil penne has 23 grams of protein! 
2. It cooks up quickly. Like traditional pasta, legume-based pasta can be prepared in 10 minutes. (We like to add a touch of extra virgin olive oil to the water when it’s cooking to keep down the cooking foam.) 
3. It’s versatile. Add your favorite sauce and toppings or include cooked legume-based pasta in your favorite recipe and you’re good to go! It’s a simple swap that tastes delicious.
4. It’s filled with fiber. If you didn’t already know, fiber is your friend: It supports digestion and it can even help slow down your body’s absorption of carbohydrates, making it a smart choice for people who want to keep their blood sugar levels stable. And legume-based pasta has more than double the amount of fiber as its traditional counterpart: Barilla’s chickpea rotini has 8 grams of fiber in a 2-ounce serving.
5. It’s gluten-free. For those with celiac disease or gluten allergies and sensitivities, legume-based pasta gives a green light to enjoy pasta again. Who can argue with that?
6. It’s a brilliant way to eat beans. Don’t love bean? We hear that. But legume-based pasta is a smart way to pack in more plant-based protein — and it tastes great, too!

Ready to try it? We know you won’t be sorry. On Merryfield, you’ll find these delicious options from Barilla: Chickpea Casarecce, Chickpea Rotini, Chickpea Spaghetti, Red Lentil Penne, Red Lentil Rotini and Red Lentil Spaghetti. Each is made with one simple ingredient — either chickpea flour or red lentil flour — and they’re all Non-GMO Project Verified and gluten-free!

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