The Joys of Whole Wheat Pasta… with a touch of “SIN”

– By Dan Megna, Chef and owner at Twisted Lemon, Cayuga

As the concept of 'healthy foods' has caught on, there is wide spread awareness about the goodness of whole wheat products, and gone are the days where raw vegetables and boiled chicken were the only healthy choices. Pasta is one dish that is easy to make and enjoyed by everyone regardless of age. As it can constitute a major part of the diet, eating whole wheat pasta will prove to be very beneficial for your health and there is no reason why it can’t be full of flavour and down right sexy!

But what exactly is the difference between 'whole wheat' pasta and ‘white pasta’? Wheat in its natural state is full of nutrients, which gets stripped as the grain gets refined. Most of these nutrients are concentrated in the outer layers of the wheat grain, which gets lost during the process of milling to extract white or refined flour. Whole wheat flour is basically the same flour but using the whole grain, so all of the nutrients are incorporated in the flour and nothing is removed.

Whole wheat pasta has a slight nuttiness and a little girth to it, which is perfect for standing up to robust sauces like classic pomodoro or bolognaise, but fine for even more delicate sauces like a sage-butter or aglio e olio (garlic and olive oil). If you choose whole wheat pasta, you’ll be getting a fibre boost and speaking purely from experience, it will help you feel fuller a little sooner and longer.

Cooking method makes the pasta

Mushy pasta is overcooked pasta. For store bought & dried whole wheat pasta, the cooking time is generally a few minutes longer than regular white pasta – but not by much. For fresh hand-made pasta, the cooking time is about half of the time of dried pasta. One thing to keep in mind is that the shape of the pasta has a great deal to do with how long it is cooked for. A short penne noodle will take at least three times longer to cook than a fine cappelini (angel hair). The best and in my opinion the only way to test the doneness of you pasta is to taste it. It should be a little firm but not raw and when chewed it shouldn’t stick to your teeth. And for everything that is beautiful about pasta please DO NOT RINSE your pasta under water! This will wash away a great deal of starch and turn the texture of the pasta into rubber and wash away a great deal of flavour.
 
Whole Wheat Pasta Dough
Ingredients
  • 2 cups 100% whole wheat flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Water, as needed
Directions:
Place flour and salt together into a large mixing bowl or food processor. Add in eggs and oil and work till a sticky lump is formed (if working by hand, or grainy mix if working with a food processor). Add in the water and work the dough till you have a fairly hard lump. Add in a little more water or possibly flour as needed to get a good-feeling texture. If working by hand, do not try to reincorporate the flakes which fall off the main lump. Knead the dough gently for 5 min, wrap in a damp dish towel, and let it rest 30 min to an hour. Divide the dough into 8 parts and roll out very thin with a rolling pin or possibly pasta roller. It will thicken and shrink a bit after the rolling, so roll a little thinner than you want it to end up. Fresh noodles will only take about 4 minutes to cook!
Quick Whole Wheat Fettuccini Carbonara
Ingredients
(serves 4)
  • 1/2 lb hand made whole wheat pasta, fettuccini noodles (long noodles, ¼ inch wide)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 ounces pancetta or slab bacon, cubed or sliced into small strips
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Directions:
Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the fettuccini will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished, so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce.
Add the pasta to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm (al dente). Drain the pasta well, reserving 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium temperature. Add the pancetta and sauté for approx. 3 minutes, until crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and let it sweat for less than 1 minute to soften. Add the hot, drained fettuccini to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen.) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste. Garnish with the parsley. Pass more cheese around the table!
Whole Wheat Tequila Shrimp Pappardelle
with Oven Roasted Tomato-cream Sauce
 
Ingredients
(serves 4)
  • 8-9 lg roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 1 ¼ lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • ¼ Cup fresh tangerine or orange juice
  • 3 Tbsp good quality Tequila
  • 1/3 Cup raw, hulled pumpkin seeds
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 chipotle chillies with 1-2 tsp of juice
  • 1 Cup heavy cream
  • ½ lb. fresh whole wheat pasta, pappardelle noodles (long noodles about ¾” wide)
  • 2 spring onions thinly sliced
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Freshly grated Grana Padano parmesan cheese for serving
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, in a 9” glass baking dish. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 30 minutes. Turn the tomatoes and continue to roast until soft and slightly browned and most of the juices have evaporated. Let cool and blend in a food processor until fairly smooth. In a non aluminium bowl, combine the shrimp, tangerine or orange juice, tequila and ¼ tsp salt and let stand at room temperature stirring once or twice for about 30 minutes to marinate.
Spread the pumpkin seeds in a small pan and place in the oven to toast, tossing occasionally for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Drain the shrimp and reserve the marinade. Heat a large frying pan over high heat and add the remaining olive oil. Cook the shrimp tossing and stirring until they are pink but not completely cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic and soften until golden brown. Add the pureed tomatoes, reserved marinade, chipotles and their juices and remaining ¼ tsp salt. Raise the heat slightly and simmer until thick, about 5 minutes. Add the cream and stir in the shrimp and any juices from the bowl. Bring to a simmer and cook until the shrimp is just cooked through and the sauce is thick, about 3-5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add noodles and test doneness once they float to the surface, about 3-5 minutes for al-dente. Drain pasta and add to the sauce. Add sliced spring onions and toss to coat. Serve in warm bowls and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds and grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy!
 

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