Review: Barilla® Whole Grain Pasta
Pasta has been my faithful friend for many a last-minute-dinner preparation. It’s comfort food. It’s easy food. It’s something the whole family loves.
Until recently, we stuck to the semolina variety. Whole wheat pasta has never been something we loved. In fact, just the thought conjures up mouth memories of pasta that tasted a lot like cardboard–not that I know what cardboard tastes like or anything. No, really. Just guessing there…
Anyway.
This year, my husband and I have been trying to change our family’s diet to include more whole grains. We’ve been opening up to brown rice and other grains instead of the more refined options. But we’ve held off on switching to a whole wheat pasta; it just didn’t seem like a change we wanted to make.
However, when I had the opportunity to try Barilla® Whole Grain, I figured we would give it a try. Barilla®is our preferred brand of pasta, so if any brand was going to make one we’d like, they would be it.
Now, my assignment was to choose a pasta recipe from the Barilla® website and I did–Shells with Cauliflower and Cherry Tomatoes. I planned to make it for lunch on a Sunday after church.
But then a funny thing happened: my husband beat me to it. He grabbed the box of Barilla® Whole Grain Angel Hair pasta and made it one night for dinner when I was coming home late from work. He and the kids enjoyed it with marinara, while I tossed mine with olive oil, parmigiano reggiano and salt.
Shockingly, we all loved it. The flavor is mild with a pleasant nuttiness that doesn’t overpower the pasta. We ended up trying it twice before I even made the recipe. That’s probably a good thing, because the recipe we tried from the Barilla® website wasn’t a favorite here. It fell a little flat on flavor–just bland. Though it has potential, if I were to tweak it a little with a different cooking method for the sauce, more garlic and perhaps a little spiciness. But I digress…
Still, the pasta itself is a keeper. I love that it’s a healthier choice but doesn’t compromise flavor, texture or quality. Plus, it’s made with 51 percent whole wheat, so it’s a great source of fiber (it has 3 times more than semolina pasta!) too. Barilla® Whole Grain pasta is a great way to get whole grains into your family’s diet.
Barilla Giveaway
Guess what? I get to give away a $100 gift card to Amazon to one lucky reader thanks to my reviewing Barilla® for BlogHer. Cool, right?
To be entered for a chance to win, please leave me a comment telling me what you love about Barilla® Whole Grain.
Here’s the fine print so you can enter and win:
SWEEPSTAKES/GIVEAWAY RULES No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
2. Tweet about this promotion @BarillaUS with the following unique term in your message, #BarillaWG, and link to your Tweet in a comment on this post
3. Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to your post in a comment on this post
4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here.This sweepstakes runs from 2/21/12-3/30/12.
Be sure to visit the Barilla® Whole Grain round-up page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!
Disclosure: I am being compensated by BlogHer/Barilla for my participation in this campaign. All opinions are my own.
Category: Stuff
i like the nutty flavor
I love the GREAT TASTE of Barilla Whole Grain! My kids love it, too, and they’re picky eaters.
tweet–https://twitter.com/#!/mami2jcn/status/172057994387918848
I love the taste of Barilla Whole Grain pasta and that its healthy for you
https://twitter.com/#!/aes529/status/172060963804155904
i love how healthy it is and how many diffferent dishes you can make!
tweet
https://twitter.com/#!/MeandBells/status/172066841013911553
I love that it’s tasty and healthy
https://twitter.com/#!/ElenaIstomina/status/172068814924677122
i love that its all natural and good source of fiber
tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/1amypugmire/status/172088621501919235
I like that it’s easy to make and it’s healthy.
Ashley H. recently posted..Allure Magazine Subscription: $3.99
I like the nutty flavr
I adore pasta – no matter what wheat it’s made from!
Kate recently posted..Romantic Night In
Mandatory Entry: i love that it is whole grain and i give it to my kids!
Thanks for the chance!
Email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com
Tweeted:
https://twitter.com/#!/anashct3/status/172294472145707008
Thanks for the chance to win!
email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com
I just love how a big company can make such a good tasting and mainstream whole grain pasta to begin with! It doesn’t seem like that long ago that you could hardly find whole grain pasta in a grocery store…
tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/karinaroselee/status/172396037036707841
i love that something so healthy can taste great too
I love that it tastes great and is also healthy!
I love Barilla Whole Grain Pasta – great taste and texture.
I looked at the recipe and agree. No fault of the pasta, but I think Barilla’s recipes leave something to be desired on the flavor scale. The pasta is yummy though!
Heather@Creative Family Moments recently posted..Why We’re Racing Pancakes
Barilla is my favorite pasta brand too, so it was the first choice when I VERY timidly tiptoed into the whole grain pasta arena. Totally sold on it!
I love the great source of fiber
family74014 at gmail dot com
I love barilla pasta! And I am super excited that they make good tasting whole grain pasta, now that that I am getting healthier!
Alexis {Diva on a Diet} recently posted..Brie Omelet with Watercress Salad {recipe} #MeatlessMonday
I just tweeted too!
https://twitter.com/#!/divaonadiet/status/172722016732983296
Alexis {Diva on a Diet} recently posted..Brie Omelet with Watercress Salad {recipe} #MeatlessMonday
I love Barilla Whole Grain pasta’s fresh flavor and texture. It’s an incredible way to bring more nutrition to foods my family already loves!
I love that I can eat one of my favorite foods without having to feel guilty about it!!!!
thanks for a chance to win!
And, have a GREAT day!
kmassmanATgmailDOTcom
Tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/marybug2/status/173450360801865728
marybug2 @ yahoo . com
I don’t know where my first comment went but I love all the fiber it has.
marybug2 @ yahoo . com
I love that it has 3 time the amount of fiber of other pastas and made with whole wheat and you can’t tell the difference in taste
i love that they have more fiber!
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https://twitter.com/#!/DesMoinesDealin/status/173467318612004864
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I like that it has lots of fiber, all natural and tasty!
Tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/disneyfan40/status/173530957322784770
i haven’t tried it yet, but i love pasta and whole grain is great b/c it’s a healthier option
i like that its an excellent source of fiber and it tastes great as well!
i tweeted here! :
https://twitter.com/#!/bellows22/status/173985268322414594
I like it’s whole grain and also taste great.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
https://twitter.com/#!/tcarolinep/status/174301754421288962
i love the taste and that it fills you up
I love all the awesome fiber!
I love Barilla Whole Grain because I can enjoy pasta without going off my diet, and it is delicious.
tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/kellydsaver/status/175586777824894976
i love that it is way more nutritious and tasty than plain white pasta
kjasus recently posted..the lorax / fandango giveaway!
https://twitter.com/#!/raggammuffin/status/175620031353323520
It is healthy and tastes great
I love that its healthier and has more flavor.
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/The_Sunshyn/status/176112559760486400
i love the health factor and taste
thepryfamily@gmail.com
https://twitter.com/#!/thepryfamily/status/176803806842077185
I love that it’s high in fiber and tastes great!
https://twitter.com/#!/susan1215/status/177586685524185091
i like that it still tastes good
I love all the extra fiber and the nutty flavor really works well with vegetarian pasta dishes!
wolverina401 at gmail dot com
I have to admit that I prefer white pasta, but we’ve made the switch and I love that Barilla is a really great source of fiber for our family’s diet….especially for my sons who eat a lot of the wrong foods when left to their own devices.
I love that it is easy find in most stores and it is tasty.
Michelle recently posted..Nashville Hot Chicken Review: Pepperfire Spiced Chicken
I love the taste
https://twitter.com/#!/HappyTina0115/status/179589727857553408
It’s easy to find, and whole grain is so much better for you!
Jenna recently posted..Sarah’s amazing juice cleanse
i love the health benefits- and it tastes good too!
https://twitter.com/#!/mermont84/status/179664111414681600
My kids love this pasta. My little one’s favorite is the mini penne. I love the nuttiness of the whole wheat pasta’s.
I like it’s whole grain and also taste great plus is all natural
purple_lover_04 at msn dot com
https://twitter.com/#!/purplelover04/status/180901578100846592
Pasta that is good for you AND tastes good! Ya can’t go wrong! I won some of this pasta and have gone thru most of it! Yummy!
I love that Barilla Whole Grain has way more fiber than regular pasta!
tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/jfong1130/status/181965132291780609
I love the fact that it doesn’t taste healthy! Wish I would’ve discovered Barilla whole grain pasta a long time ago.
I love Barilla® Whole Grain Pasta because it provides more fiber, it is nutritious and delicious. I have been buying the Barilla’s regular pasta for many years and switched to this whole grain once I tried and love it’s texture.
ctong2[at]gmail[dot]com
I tweeted about this giveaway: https://twitter.com/#!/ctong2/status/182727069736767488
ctong2[at]gmail[dot]com
I love the variety noodles and fast cook time. Thanks for the review and giveaway.
songyueyu at gmail
tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/syytta/status/183118678223634432
songyueyu at gmail
I love that is is healthier for you, we have switched to pretty much everything whole grain. sweepmorey at gmail dot com (I am a pasta lover, so takes away some guilt)
tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/mommysdizzy/status/183616905339346944
I love that is a good way to get whole grain into my kids diets.
tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/lindabr1001/status/183933987926970368
I love that Barilla Whole Grain is all natural and is a great source of fiber. Thanks for the chance to win!
gina.m.maddox (AT) gmail (DOT) com
TWEET-https://twitter.com/#!/CrazyItalian0/status/184047363428597761
gina.m.maddox (AT) gmail (DOT) com
I love that it’s healthy and still tastes great.
tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/KerryBishop/status/184079319319064578
I love that its a very well known name brand offering whole grains to the masses. I am a huge proponent of eating whole foods, especially whole grains and have noticed that lots of people have a negative opinion of “health foods.” With the Barilla name comes a guarantee that its going to taste great and hopefully that will get more people to try it and see that eating healthy tastes great!
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/#!/MsTofuFairy/status/184657557497982976
I love that it has three times more fiber than regular pasta.
My family can’t tell the difference and I love that it’s healthier!
https://twitter.com/#!/cmouse01/status/185182570928013313
I use Barilla but haven’t tried the whole grain yet. Guess it’s time to get on that train.
ALL THESE RECIPES HAVE MADE ME HUNGRY FOR SOME PASTA =)
I LOVE THAT BARILLA WHOLE GRAIN FILLS ME UP SO QUICKLY, & LEAVES ME COMPLETELY SATISFIED HUNGER-WISE!
2ND ENTRY TWEET https://twitter.com/#!/kytah00/status/185503461788491777
I like it’s healthier but still tastes good!
I haven’t tried it yet, but I love they offer a taste guarantee!
https://twitter.com/#!/LAMusing/status/185600715811586049
I like that it tastes good.
Thanks for the contest.
Blogged:
http://slehan.blogspot.com/2012/03/win-100-amazon-gc-from-barilla-blogher.html
I like that it contains three times more fiber than regular pasta.
runningmatey at hotmail dot com
https://twitter.com/#!/LuckyDuckyToo/status/185871487998230529
Barilla is my favorite pasta brand. Some other whole grain pastas taste like cardboard, but Barilla tastes like pasta!! I always have a box or two of Barilla Whole Grain (or Barilla Plus) in my cupboard!)
Link to my Tweet:
https://twitter.com/#!/mrs_puddle/status/185913971843416064
I love it’s healthy and has lots of fiber!!
https://twitter.com/#!/ajoy1332/status/186243750522138624