Cooking With Heatlhy Whole Wheat Pasta

Wheat Linguine Makes Dinner Healthier: Try Shrimp Primavera Recipe

© Chris Albano

Aug 8, 2008

Whole wheat pasta, can be made from either flour or durum, has almost three times more fiber than regular pasta. Refined wheat products were a discovery back in the later 1800s, it was a new way of milling and mass refining and took hold in the grain business. Removing the bran and germ seemed like a good idea at the time, since it meant that grain products could sit on store shelves much longer without spoiling. But the worldwide epidemic of B-vitamin deficiencies (pellagra and beriberi) that followed was only the beginning. We are just realizing the nutritional fallout from almost eliminating whole grains from our diet over the past hundred years. Now you have the choice of selecting more nutritional healthy products and whole wheat pasta is a great start.

Besides the fact it can lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes, eating foods that are high in fiber also fill you up faster, meaning you'll eat fewer calories. Just begining to add wheat and grains to your diet and using trace amounts of oils in your cooking, can help you lose weight and also lower your risk of heart disease. Whole wheat in your diet can also reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes, gallstones and chronic inflammation.

Shrimp Primavera serves 4

• 1 - 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, cleaned
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 2 each scallions, chopped
• 1 each red pepper, roasted and chopped
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, cut in julienne strips
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
• salt to taste
• 1 pound whole wheat linguine

Directions:

1. Cook pasta in rapidly boiling water
2. In a large skillet heat sesame oil garlic, scallion and red pepper flakes
3. Add shrimp and cook until lightly pink and remove.
4. Add broccoli, red peppers, and dried tomatoes and cook two minutes or until broccoli starts to get cooked firm to the tooth or "Al Dente".
5. Return shrimp to the mixture and season with salt.
6. Drain pasta and add to the vegetable mixture with a splash of the cooking water.
7. Simmer for a minute to combine flavors and serve warm.

wheat pasta

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