Catelli: Healthy Harvest Ancient Grains pasta (giveaway ended)

A few weeks ago I attended a webinar hosted by celebrity chef Lynn Crawford to promote the new Catelli Healthy Harvest Ancient Grains pasta! It’s made up of 100% Canadian whole wheat, quinoa, teff, amaranth, millet and sorghum. How amazing is that?

Now being that I was unable to physically attend the event, I was sent a few boxes of my own to try out for myself.

I followed the cooking instructions as per recommended by the back of the box because that is what chef Lynn Crawford said that you should always do if you want to cook your pasta to perfection (more tips below).

I really enjoyed the texture of the spaghetti because it wasn’t as “grainy” as your typical whole wheat pasta. At home we usually end up mixing our white and whole wheat spaghettini noodles together so that we get to have whole wheat noodles without it being too “wheaty” in flavor as lil’ bun calls it.

I think that it would be the perfect pasta to have for those who don’t like the taste of whole wheat but want to be able to have a healthier alternative to white pasta.

I was sent a few recipes to test out for myself and I decided to try the Spaghetti with Turkey Sausage and Kale (recipe below) because the kale in my garden was starting to grow out.

And OH MY GOODNESS. I can’t even get over how amazing it was. I’ve never tried putting chickpeas in my pasta sauce before but I think I’m going to have to start doing it because it was just that yummy 😛

As if discovering a new amazing pasta line wasn’t enough…Catelli has offered to send one of my lovely Canadian readers a few boxes of Healthy Harvest Ancient Grains pasta try for themselves! Yes, you heard me right…it’s time for a GIVEAWAY!

Giveaway rules

1. Follow my blog (link to do so is on the side bar)
2. For Canadian residents only
3. Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite pasta recipe/dish is. It can either be a recipe found below or one of your own!

Bonus entry: Follow me on Instagram @eatmunchlove and comment on this giveaway photo telling me if you like spaghetti, rotini or spaghettini pasta better.

Winner will be randomly selected on Saturday April 11th. (Thank you everyone who participated in the giveaway and congratulations to Mag C for winning!)

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The following content is not my own and was sent to me by the event coordinators

Top 10 Whole Grain Pasta Cooking Tips from Celebrity Chef Lynn Crawford herself!

1. Watch your cooking time: Pasta should be cooked according to the cook time guide on the package to achieve the ideal al dente texture. For a professional twist, cut one to two minutes off the suggested cooking time, drain and finish off cooking your pasta in the sauce.

2. Skip the oil: There is no need to add oil to your cooking water. Despite popular belief, this actually takes away from the pasta’s final texture and ability to adhere to the sauce. Skip the oil and embrace the starchiness of your pasta.

3. Water your pasta: When cooking pasta, use a large pot. As basic as it sounds, it will make a difference in the outcome of your pasta. You will need one litre of water to about 100 grams of pasta.  Using a large pot will give the pasta room to boil and help keep the noodles from sticking together.

4. Think salty sea: Add a generous amount of sea salt to the boiling water to ensure your pasta is well seasoned. You may even want to taste the water before adding your pasta to make sure there is enough salt.

5. Avoid rinsing: For hot pasta dishes, never rinse the pasta after cooking in order to retain the starch and enable warm sauces to better adhere to the pasta.

6. Create the perfect pair: Delicate pasta shapes go well with delicate sauces, and heartier, ridged shapes pair well with richer sauces and ragus.  For example, try long thin pasta, such as spaghetti, with a classic marinara sauce. Penne, ziti or rigatoni lend themselves to thicker sauces with more texture, such as a ragu Bolognese.

7. Embrace the texture: Whole grain pasta has a hearty, firm texture that’s perfect for cold or chilled recipes and marinates well in tangy dressings. The firmness of the noodles also provides a good base for both crunchy and juicy fresh vegetables.

8. Top it off: With a nutty, rich flavour, whole grain pasta can take on other strong, complex flavours. Ingredients that pair well with whole grain pasta include garlic, chili, anchovies, rich pesto sauces, and bitter or dark leafy greens such as kale, Swiss chard and radicchio.

9. Take the heat: When preparing hot pasta recipes, keep your serving plates or bowls warm in an oven set to a low temperature until you’re ready to serve. This will ensure that your final dish stays nice and hot.

10. Crank up the flavour: Whole grain pasta is an easy base on which to build a healthy and delicious meal. Incorporate a lean protein, plenty of fresh vegetables, and seasoning with big flavours in the pasta for an even more nutritious and satisfying dish.

Healthy Delicious Recipes

Rotini with Roasted Chicken and Cauliflower

Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 pkg (340 g) Catelli® Healthy Harvest® Ancient Grains Rotini
3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp (10 ml) paprika
1/2 tsp (2 ml) each dried oregano leaves, salt and pepper
2 cups (500 ml) cauliflower or broccoli florets
1 red pepper, chopped
1 each onion and carrot, sliced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 cup (125 ml) each sodium-reduced chicken broth and peas
1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Whisk oil with garlic, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper; set aside 1 tbsp (15 ml) of this mixture. Toss cauliflower, red pepper, onion and carrot with remaining mixture; transfer to baking sheet. Add chicken to bowl, coat with leftover mixture. Transfer chicken to separate baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes.
3. Cook rotini according to package directions; drain well. Return to saucepan with broth, peas, chicken, vegetables, reserved oil mixture and vinegar. Cook for 2 minutes.

Per serving: 498 calories, 14.5 g fat, 36 mg cholesterol, 294 mg sodium, 67 g carbohydrates, 11 g fibre, 4.5 g sugar, 27 g protein.

Spaghetti with Turkey Sausage and Kale

Time: 25 min
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 pkg (340 g) Catelli® Healthy Harvest® Ancient Grains Spaghetti
2 each shallots and cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
3 turkey sausages, casings removed
1/4 tsp (1 ml) each hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup   (250 ml) no-salt added canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups (500 ml) thinly sliced kale
1/4 cup (60 ml) sliced fresh basil

Instructions:

1. Sauté shallots and garlic in oil for 2 minutes in a nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add sausage, hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes; cook for 10 minutes.Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Add kale during the last minute of cooking; drain well. Toss with sausage mixture to coat. Sprinkle with basil.

Spaghetti with Zucchini, Lemon, Olives and Goat Cheese

Time: 35 min
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 pkg (340 g) Catelli® Healthy Harvest Ancient Grains Spaghetti
3 zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced and divided
3/4 tsp (4 ml) salt, divided
4 shallots, sliced
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried oregano
1/2 cup (125 ml) reduced sodium chicken broth
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon zest
1/4 tsp (1 ml) freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup (125 ml) crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup (60 ml) pitted kalamata olives, halved (lengthwise)
1/4 cup (60 ml) toasted pine nuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat; grease grate well. Toss zucchini with 2 tbsp (30 ml) of the oil, half of the garlic and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side or until lightly charred.  Cut into half moons. Set aside.
2. In the skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat, sauté shallots, remaining garlic and oregano for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden. Add chicken broth, stirring to scrape up any brown bits.
3. Meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the pasta water.
4. To skillet add pasta, lemon zest, pepper, remaining salt and toss. Add additional pasta water, if needed.
5. Serve pasta topped with grilled zucchini, goat cheese, olives and pine nuts.

Discount coupons for Catelli^® Healthy Harvest^® Ancient Grains pasta here. Coupons are available while quantities last, so please act quickly!

*Disclaimer: The Catelli Healthy Harvest Ancient Grains pasta was sent to me. I was not sponsored for this post and all opinions are 100% honest and my own*

Tags: Catelli, entrees, Pasta