Quinoa Pasta is a type of pasta product that is made with quinoa flour (type of flour made by grinding the seeds of the quinoa plant) instead of the traditional ingredient of wheat. This pasta has gained its popularity in the last few years as people start to realize the importance of healthy eating. While others use it mainly for health reasons (celiac disease), some prefer quinoa pasta because of its distinct taste and texture. Corn is often added to the quinoa flour for added flavor and texture. It comes in variety of popular pasta shapes like spaghetti, linguine, elbows, curls and rotelle.
Quinoa Pasta Nutrition Facts
Quinoa Pasta is perfect for people who are trying to follow a gluten-free diet or for those who are diagnosed with Celiac Disease. This type of pasta offers numerous benefits and advantages over traditional pasta. First, quinoa pasta contains a very high amount of protein, around 15% of its total volume. It is also packed with an abundant amount of amino acids. Countless studies have proven that the quinoa grain is one of the few grains which has complete protein. Quinoa pasta is loaded with iron, magnesium and phosphorous. So the next time you eat your pasta, you can be assured that you are getting high quality protein instead of unbelievable amounts of carbohydrates. It is indeed way healthier in many ways than traditional wheat pasta.
Quinoa is also healthier than rice – read Quinoa vs Rice Nutritional Info here.
How to Make Quinoa Pasta
To make quinoa pasta you will need:
1/2 cup of stone ground quinoa flour
1/3 cup of tapioca flour
4 tablespoons of potato flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 large egg
2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of water
Flour for kneading (1/4 cup quinoa floor, 2 tablespoon tapioca and 1 teaspoon potato flour)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients together and then form a deep well in the center of the mixture. Crack the egg and add the olive oil and water at the center of the notch. Using a fork, combine the wet and dry ingredients together until it gets mealy. Form it to a ball and place it back into the bowl, make sure you cover it with cling wrap. Let it sit for about an hour. After an hour, check the dough if it’s sticky, knead more flour into it if you have to. The dough should be able to hold its shape well and can be sculpted like firm clay.
Use a hand-crank pasta maker and flatten the dough into a rectangle. Moderately thick pasta works the best with this kind of dough. Boil salted water and cook the pasta for about 5 minutes or until you get the texture that you want. Pour it into a colander and then rinse it with running cold water.
Quinoa Pasta Salad
2 cups Quinoa Pasta
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 can pineapple tidbits
2 gala apples
Cook the Quinoa Pasta according to package directions. Once the pasta is cooked, combine it with all of the ingredients together adding the gala apples last. For the dressing, mix together 2 tbs lime juice, 3 tbs honey, 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup softened cream cheese, salt and pepper to taste.
Where to Buy Quinoa Pasta
In the grocery store, you will usually find quinoa pasta in the organic/whole wheat pasta section. You can also try looking at the rice, dried beans or pulses section. If you can’t find quinoa pasta in your local grocery store, check your health food store or Vegan Supermarket. They usually have most of the shapes.
If it’s too much trouble for you to check out your local grocery store or vegan supermarket, you can always order quinoa pasta online. Check out this page at Amazon.com.
