whole wheat spaghetti with cherry tomatoes

Call me a hypocrite if you want but it's hard to deny the nutrient boost in these dried out things known as whole wheat pasta. Grandmothers in Italy would probably cringe at the sight of this concoction with its dense, somewhat fibrous and cardboard like taste. I've been a long time opponent to these tasteless strands of dehydrated flour but I reluctantly grabbed a box when I saw it on sale for 79 cents.

In comparison to the traditional seminola wheat pasta, the whole wheat pasta offers more protein and fiber (which is definitely a health plus) but in return, I do feel that you give up some of the taste. Rachael Ray A certain Food Network star (who I won't name because they seem to enjoy reading my blog) likes to advertise on her show that you can eat more whole wheat pasta without feeling guilty because its healthier for you.

Let's get this out of the way shall we?: more pasta = more calories = less weight loss if trying to lose weight. Need me to simplify further? Weight for weight, the whole wheat pasta actually has more calories vs. regular pasta. Yes it's more nutritious but calorie wise, it's the exact same thing. So should you feel guilty about eating regular pasta? No! You should never deprive yourself of or feel guilty about eating anything. It's moderation and portion size that matters when it comes to managing your weight, regardless of its nutritional health benefits.

I had some cherry tomatoes left over from my Blue Kitchen recipe that needed to be used. I decided to get it over with and cook the whole wheat spaghetti staring me down in the pantry like Poe's raven. Along with the cherry tomatoes, I added shallots, garlic and lemon juice to lighten the dish up.

Don't get me wrong. I still think it tastes like crap compared to regular pasta or that heavenly, delicate fresh egg pasta but you know what? Dare I say, it wasn't...that......bad. I think the zesty and light flavor of the lemon really helped lift the dense pasta into tricking my brain. Perhaps it's now time to make peace with these nutritious strands of goodness...maybe.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes
Original

Ingredients:

- 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti

- 1 large shallot, diced

- 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced

- 3 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved if too large

- 2 tablespoons of pasta water

- juice of 1 lemon

- chiffonade of basil

- grated Parmesan cheese

1) Bring a pot of salted water up to a boil and cook pasta a minute or two shy of al dente. Al dente for me was 8 minutes, so I went 6.

2) Meanwhile, add olive oil to a hot pan and add the shallots and garlic. Saute until softened and lightly colored. About 3 minutes.

3) Add in the cherry tomatoes and cook until the skin starts to break down and it begin to soften. About 5 minutes or so.

4) Drain the pasta and reserve a little bit of the pasta water. Season the pasta with a little bit of salt/pepper and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil to prevent sticking.

5) Add the spaghetti to the pan along with 2 tablespoons of the pasta water and the juice from 1 lemon. Add a little bit of the chiffonaded basil and mix to incorporate everything evenly.

6) Place spaghetti into bowls, place some of the cherry tomatoes on top and garnish with more basil and grated Parmesan cheese. Drizzle more extra-virgin olive oil if desired and serve immediately.

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So what are your thoughts on this whole wheat pasta fad? Surely, you don't think it tastes better than regular pasta...do you?