What is Black Bean Pasta? Is it Healthy?

Put down your spiraliser…I have freed you from days of cleaning the blooming thing. There is an alternative if you want to cut your carbs, but put your pasta sauce on something – and it, my friends, is the range of bean-based pasta by Explore Cuisine.

 

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I spotted it while pootling around Planet Organic and picked a pack up – specifically the Organic Black Bean Spaghetti shaped version.

What is Black Bean Pasta Made From?

While you would think, by the name, it was the black beans you find in Latin American cooking but apparently not.  It’s actually made from black soybeans. 

These are then ground into flour and made into pasta with water.

That’s right there are no other ingredients in the strands making Explore Cuisine black bean pasta also gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free. This is also the case with another brand I have tried Eco Organics Black Bean Spaghetti.

How Many Calories are in Black Bean Pasta?

I served myself about a quarter to a fifth of the pack, which, according to the label is around  40-50g dry weight – this would weigh in at about 150 calories, 6-7g of carbs and about 20g of protein.

What Does Black Bean Pasta Taste Like?

I didn’t quite know what to expect but decided to give it a try when The Boyfriend was making his yummy bacon, tomato and chilli concoction.

Unlike many other pasta things this doesn’t work well on courgetti, flat mushrooms or peas (I’ve tried them all), it’s just a bit too liquidy – and so I thought I’d try it with the bean pasta.

It was brilliant.

It cooks to almost the same consistency as al dente normal spaghetti and, while it doesn’t taste anything like white pasta, it is faintly reminiscent of brown pasta in kind of an earthy way.

Despite the fact that it looks kind of odd, I was very pleasantly surprised. 

Not bad. The high protein count also makes it super satisfying. Oh, and it’s gluten-free too.  I likeee.

Where to Buy It

As I said, I bought mine from Planet Organic – there’s a direct link to the page here.  You’ll also find it in some health stores.

They also do an Edamame and Mung Bean Fettucine version which you might want to pick up if you prefer your strands thicker. It also comes in a satisfying green colour. 

It does cost a lot more than normal pasta and around £3 a packet, but I’d guess a pack would give you 4-5 servings.

In Australia, you might also want to check out Eco Organics who do a huge range of alternative pastas – including Black Bean, Chickpea and Edamame. I picked mine up at QE Wholefoods but you can also order them online at GF Pantry.

If you’re buying from the US, have a look at the Explore Cuisine store on Amazon which has all sorts of exciting goodies – including the black bean spaghetti, a few different fettucine – and an edamame and spirulina version which is a bit intriguing. Click here to explore what’s on offer.

If you like the sound of alternatives to traditional carbs, you might also want to check out our post on Shiritake Noodles

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