This week I tried something outside of my comfort zone: lentil pasta.
The first one I tried was a meal in a bag called Modern Table meals, made with green lentils. The pasta cooked quickly, within 8 minutes. There are freeze dried vegetables, depending on which meal you choose. I didn't realize that there would be a sediment type of powder that would come off of the pasta and make a foam above the boiling water. Be careful, as this can cause the pot to easily boil over. I made the sauce, but didn't use it. It was similar to a pesto, but with more liquid. I'm not a fan of pesto. So, instead I used a marinara.
The pasta was very filling and kept me for for several hours, which is very different from grain pasta. The taste wasn't bad at all, but the texture will take some getting used to. The texture is a little slimy and the pasta can become mushy if cooked for too long.
The second lentil pasta I tried was Tolerant, which is made from red lentils. I cooked the pasta for about 6 minutes and got an al dente texture, without the sliminess of my previous attempt of cooking lentil pasta. This time I only put parmesan cheese on the pasta. This was delicious. It is very filling and has a nice taste. By cooking it a little less than what is recommended, you don't have the texture issue.
While neither of these products are cheap, they are a nice alternative to grain pastas. Their protein levels are also at a nice, high level. The carbohydrate content is not ideal, but you would get these levels if eating just lentils. In grain pasta, the carbohydrate amount (unless in a "low carb" pasta) is between 40-46 carbs usually. These products do not have a lot of fillers. The Tolerant pasta only contains lentils, while the Modern meals have a few more items, but nothing to be concerned about. I would definitely suggest trying lentil pasta.
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