I bought a box of Great Value Whole Wheat Rotini Spiral Pasta last weekend for review. This springy wheat pasta was a delicious, filling, and healthful taste sensation.
I truly enjoy most any pasta, more or less refined, but have avoided it in recent decades because of the high amounts of refined carbs, which emerging science suggests may be bad for us. However, this whole grain spiral pasta is less refined than the bleached flour pastas; it contains mostly whole wheat. So it’s probably more nutritious. Great Value whole wheat pasta also provides an appetizing and pleasant, mild grain taste. It’s quite good.
Benefits, Advantages, Pros, and Features
Rotini pasta texture can be crunchy, chewy, or very soft, depending on the length of time you cook it. So this pasta behaves, while cooking, and afterwards during the eating, similarly to more highly refined pastas. Yet its whole-wheat grain content makes it healthier. It takes a bit longer to cook than the more refined pastas.
You sacrifice no taste when you switch to this Great Value product, but gain some naturally occurring nutrition for your “effort.” Try mixing this pasta with steamed carrots, green beans, or broccoli for an even more filling meal.
A whole 13.25 Oz. box cooks up in about 23 minutes on my stove over medium-high heat. Smaller amounts finish more quickly; the box says 10 to 12 minutes cooking time.
During cooking, the pleasant but subtle whole-grain wheat smell fills my lower floor.
Also, the boiling water remains moderately clear; not much of this durum whole wheat product dissolves into the water, which means more nutrition at your dining table, and less product poured down the drain when you strain this Rotini pasta.
This is a good source of protein (7 grams per 1-cup. serving), and it has low per-serving fat and sugar (1.5 grams and 2 grams respectively).
Not only are the noodles herein a decent source of protein, but the durum whole-wheat flour used makes them a great fiber source as well (5 grams).
Just look at the ingredient (from the box): Durum whole wheat flour. That’s it! What a nutritious and tasty, yet extremely short list.
This pasta has a mild flavor which resembles more traditional pastas. So, this pasta readily compliments cheeses and sauces as flavor enhancers. It has a somewhat heavier and more filling texture than other white-flour pastas. It’s a heartier food than those others.
Try adding this cooked whole grain food source to salads, soups, and stews. Or, just eat it plain with a bit of tomato sauce or Parmesan cheese. It fills you up.
Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, and Concerns
This pasta requires more time to soften and cook than do pasta elbows or macaroni, as each noodle is somewhat thicker. No problem really however.
Ingredients
Durum whole wheat flour.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving size: 1 cup, 56 grams, dry. Servings per container: about 7.
- Calories: 210. Calories from fat: 15.
- Total fat: 1.5 grams, 2% DV.
- Saturated Fat: 0 grams, 0% DV.
- Trans fat: 0 grams.
- Polyunsaturated fat: 0.5 grams.
- Monounsaturated fat: 1 gram.
- Cholesterol: 0 grams, 0% DV.
- Sodium: 0 grams, 0% DV.
- Potassium: 210 milligrams, 6% DV.
- Total carbohydrate: 41 grams, 14% DV.
- Dietary fiber: 5 grams, 20% DV.
- Sugars: 2 grams.
- Protein: 7 grams.
- Vitamin A: 0% DV.
- Calcium: 2% DV.
- Vitamin C: 0% DV.
- Iron: 10% DV.
Our Rating
I’d recommend this versatile pasta, hands down, to those who love pasta, but who, like me, wish to find healthier pasta alternatives to white flour. I’d therefore rate this product at 94 out of 100.
Where To Buy Great Value Whole Wheat Rotini Spiral Pasta
Look for this healthful product in the white box with the blue and brown letters at Walmart exclusively. The box includes a little window on the front to let you actually see the springy spiral noodles just waiting to be cooked and enjoyed.
References
Revision History
- : Adjusted category and tag assignments, fixed typos, and added white space.
- 2012-07-15: Originally published.