[Emmy] bought a box of this Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Whole Grain Penne Pasta recently. This one hundred percent whole grain pasta product is a hearty and delicious yet healthy taste sensation. I love most all pastas, more or less refined, but have turned it down over the past several years because of the high refined carb content, which we now know may be bad for us. However, this penne pasta is less refined than the bleached flour pastas, as it contains only whole wheat durum flour. So it’s certainly more nutritious. This whole wheat pasta also provides an appetizing and pleasant, substantial taste. It’s delicious.
Benefits, Advantages, Pros, and Features
- A whole 12 Oz. box of Hodgson Mill penne pasta cooks up in about seven to nine minutes as per the provided instructions. Smaller amounts finish faster.
- Penne pasta texture can be crunchy, chewy, or soft, depending on how long it’s cooked. So this penne pasta cooks and tastes similarly to more highly refined pastas. Yet its 100% whole-wheat grain provides a healthier culinary subtext for any penne pasta dish.
- No taste is given up when switching to this whole wheat pasta, But you gain some naturally-occurring nutrition for your “sacrifice.” Try mixing this pasta with steamed cauliflower or carrots for an even more filling lunch or supper.
- During cooking, the pleasant but subtle whole-grain wheat smell fills [Emmy’s].
- Also, the boiling water remains moderately clear; not much of this whole wheat product clouds the water, which means more nutrition in your pasta bowl, and less product poured down the drain when you strain this product.
- This penne pasta is a good source of protein (9 grams per two ounce serving), and it has low per-serving fat and sugar (1 gram and 1 gram respectively).
- Not only are Hodgson Mill whole wheat penne pasta noodles a decent source of protein (9 grams), but the whole-wheat flour makes them a great fiber source as well (6 grams).
- Just look at the single ingredient (from the box): Durum whole wheat flour. That’s it! You can’t get any shorter than that.
- This whole wheat penne pasta has a mild flavor like more traditional pastas. So, this pasta readily compliments cheeses and sauces as flavor enhancers.
- They supply a recipe for marinated beef and penne salad as well as Buffalo chicken pasta right on the box.
- We found this product at the local Giant Eagle grocery store in plentiful supply.
Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, and Concerns
- This penne pasta requires more time to cook than do pasta elbows or spirals, as each noodle is somewhat thicker. No problem though, as we just washed a few more dishes until the penne cylinder noodles finished cooking.
Our Rating
We’d recommend Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Whole Grain Penne Pasta to those who love pasta, but who are looking for healthier pasta alternatives to white flour. I’d rate this product at 97 out of 100.
Where To Buy Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Whole Grain Penne Pasta
Look for this healthful product in the red, yellow, and blue box with the blue and brown letters at Walmart at Giant Eagle grocers and larger health food stores and online retailers and wholesalers. The box includes a little window on the front to let you actually see the noodles.
References
- Hodgson Mill Website
- Penne Pasta on Wikipedia
- Where To Buy Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Whole Grain Penne Pasta
- Whole Grain on Wikipedia
Revision History
- : Moved this post to the Tom’s Diet Quest blog, added whitespace, adjusted ad placement, and tweaked the content.
- 2012-04-12: Originally published.