What am I doing wrong - whole wheat pasta

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linz1125
linz1125 Posts: 441 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Every time I cook it it's just gross. It's gritty, hard, and not appetizing. I usually buy Brailla whole wheat. Today I made the penne and I just don't like it. I usually put a little olive oil in with the pasta, and today I cooked about 1/4 of the box for 10 minutes.

Any suggestions appreciated.
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Replies

  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Whole wheat pasta needs to cook a little longer than standard pasta. I don't know why, it just takes longer to soften up.

    I make mine with (usually) a "sauce" that isn't so much a sauce as it is a blend of mixed vegetables (spinach leaves, tomatoes, mushrooms, olives) sauteed in olive oil topping it, and some cheese. Tasty!
  • therealjanelle
    therealjanelle Posts: 41
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    I LOVE whole wheat pasta but it is less forgiving than white pasta. First, make sure you cook it at a very high boil. Second, test it every minute from 3 minutes before to 3 minutes after the package says it should be done.

    Also, if you've got hard water like me, it is much more difficult to get right.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Every time I cook it it's just gross. It's gritty, hard, and not appetizing. I usually buy Brailla whole wheat. Today I made the penne and I just don't like it. I usually put a little olive oil in with the pasta, and today I cooked about 1/4 of the box for 10 minutes.

    Any suggestions appreciated.

    Problem 1 - Buying whole wheat pasta

    Problem 2 - adding olive oil to your cooking water (the oil coats the pasta and doesn't allow the sauce to stick as well)
  • Katetmay
    Katetmay Posts: 56 Member
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    I am not a huge whole wheat penne fan either, it's to thick and gritty. The one I have found that is pretty tasty is Catelli yolk free whole wheat broad noodles.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,019 Member
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    Exactly. Cook it longer. Taste it as it cooks until you get a consistency you like. I never did get to the point where I liked the Penne, though.

    These days I'm using whole wheat linguini, or grated zucchini as a sub.
  • 4cstadler
    4cstadler Posts: 9
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    I pay a little more and get the three minutes to cook wheat pasta. Try it. You will like it much better.
  • xarge
    xarge Posts: 484 Member
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    You should cook longer like suggested above. 10-11 minutes is al dente cooking time for most whole grain pasta. It will still be grainy compared to white, by the way. I start tasting around 8 minutes for regular pasta. And I use salt and oil as I don't like my pasta drained in sauce anyway.
  • Papillon22
    Papillon22 Posts: 1,160 Member
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    I never got to like it either. I find whole *grain* pasta to be much tastier, though.
  • T34418l3angel
    T34418l3angel Posts: 474 Member
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    Your problem is whole wheat pasta. I know I'm gonna get *kitten* for this but oh well lol. If I'm gonna eat pasta (which is rare) I'm gonna eat real pasta not that whole grain whole wheat crap. it's good for bread but as pasta.... Not so much.
  • Lorisara75
    Lorisara75 Posts: 11
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    Forget the whole wheat pasta use shirataki noodles! full of protein literally 40 calories per bag looks and feels like spaghetti and it's GOOD for you! :-) you can check it out at www.miraclenoodle.com
  • alli_baba
    alli_baba Posts: 232 Member
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    I'm not a fan of whole wheat pasta, either (in Italy, that's pretty much a sacrilege).

    But if you are going to go that route, I read somewhere (Cooks Illustrated I think?) that whole wheat pasta does not taste too great with a garden variety marinara (tomato) sauce -- it needs something stronger like a bolognese or pesto sauce.

    In terms of cooking it, just add salt to the cooking water -- if you want to add olive oil, add after it has been cooked and drained.

    Finally, if you are eating whole wheat pasta to get more fiber in your diet, you could always just add more vegetables to your sauce --- I think that might be a tastier strategy.

    Good luck!
  • kaervaak
    kaervaak Posts: 274 Member
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    I'm not a fan of whole wheat pasta, either (in Italy, that's pretty much a sacrilege).

    But if you are going to go that route, I read somewhere (Cooks Illustrated I think?) that whole wheat pasta does not taste too great with a garden variety marinara (tomato) sauce -- it needs something stronger like a bolognese or pesto sauce.

    In terms of cooking it, just add salt to the cooking water -- if you want to add olive oil, add after it has been cooked and drained.

    Finally, if you are eating whole wheat pasta to get more fiber in your diet, you could always just add more vegetables to your sauce --- I think that might be a tastier strategy.

    Good luck!

    Absolutely agree with this assessment. Also, when you add salt to your pasta water, we're not talking about a tablespoon or a dash, you need to add more like a handful or a quarter of a cup to properly cook and season a pound of pasta.
  • gramacanada
    gramacanada Posts: 558 Member
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    I've never had a problem cooking it. i know some people don't like it. it is a bit different. My problem is the price. Where I am it's 3 or so times more than regular pasta. For my money that's not worth the small added amounts of protein and fiber. I make sure I get them else where. usually by making a meat sauce, or seafood and adding lot of vegetables or bene-fibre or like that to it. One thing that worked, using half regular and half whole wheat. I didn't find the cooking times to be a problem.
  • GabsMommy28
    GabsMommy28 Posts: 47 Member
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    I was introduced to this stuff when I got Gestational Diabetes ... Dreamfield's Pasta. OMG good, tastes better than normal and it's good for you!!! I recommend it to everyone. Just a little salt in the water while cooking (you should NEVER rinse pasta btw) and I tend to put a little I can't believe it's not butter (little little) when it's draining, stir it, and it never sticks.
  • tinie25
    tinie25 Posts: 2 Member
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    i like the catelli whole wheat, i find the macaroni cooks the best :smile:
  • tripitena
    tripitena Posts: 554 Member
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    We havent used anything BUT whole wheat pastas in years.We have been avoiding white flours and reducing highly processed grains. Cooking longer, skipping the oil, and richly flavored sauces are all the best advice. We like the heartier texture and the fiber is a plus.
  • sunshine_gem
    sunshine_gem Posts: 390 Member
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    I'm not a fan of whole wheat pasta, either (in Italy, that's pretty much a sacrilege).

    But if you are going to go that route, I read somewhere (Cooks Illustrated I think?) that whole wheat pasta does not taste too great with a garden variety marinara (tomato) sauce -- it needs something stronger like a bolognese or pesto sauce.

    In terms of cooking it, just add salt to the cooking water -- if you want to add olive oil, add after it has been cooked and drained.

    Finally, if you are eating whole wheat pasta to get more fiber in your diet, you could always just add more vegetables to your sauce --- I think that might be a tastier strategy.

    Good luck!

    Absolutely agree with this assessment. Also, when you add salt to your pasta water, we're not talking about a tablespoon or a dash, you need to add more like a handful or a quarter of a cup to properly cook and season a pound of pasta.

    How much??? That's a whole lot of salt! The salt isn't meant to season the pasta, you do that afterwards. All the salt is supposed to do is stop it from sticking together. You only need to add oil if you're not eating the pasta immediately and even then, only a dash. That is waaaay too much salt.
  • sing4me4you
    sing4me4you Posts: 88 Member
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    I prefer multigrain pasta - not quite as heavy but I really think the problem is the brand. Try Hodgsen Mills - tastes much better.
  • kaervaak
    kaervaak Posts: 274 Member
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    On the salt question:
    http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/how-to-make-perfect-pasta
    3. You're not using nearly enough salt. Add a small handful of kosher salt to a pot of boiling water, then drop in the pasta. The noodles absorb water as they cook, so you're actually seasoning the interior of an otherwise bland starch. Mark Ladner, executive chef at Del Posto in New York City, says the water should taste "almost as salty as seawater." For Ladner, that's about 1 Tbsp. salt for every quart of water, but you don't have to be so particular—just throw it in there.
    [\quote]
  • brenda4life
    brenda4life Posts: 65 Member
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    I am new to this website/forum. Thank you for the great info on cooking whole wheat pasta. As to why eat whole wheat pasta, I thought it was the best option for pasta, is it not?

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