Pasta Just Got Better

Would you have guessed that the world’s countries are brought together by one teensy-weensy ingredient? One that spread all over the world, shared by different cultures, languages, and environments. This flavour ninja sneaks its way into all kinds of dishes, bringing us all together in this epic culinary journey of delicious unity. Appropriately categorized as a superfood; It’s not pasta yet it is… Find out more in Pasta Just Got Better. By Emily Fincher and Jo Phillips

Surprise, it’s yellow peas. Yes, they could be the most global culinary essential. Popping up in America, Asia, the Caribbean, England, Greece, and Russia. It has more than just one name, in north India, it is known as matar ki daal. In Greece, it’s named Fava, and in western Asia, lappeh. Referred to as simply dal in Guyana, Suriname, Mauritius, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Fiji.

Globally renowned may be partly because yellow peas ward off the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. They also help aid muscle growth. The yellow peas are practically nutrient treasure chests, they provide protection from oxidative stress on the body so they are a powerful antioxidant, known for being a source of iron which helps to reduce tiredness and fatigue, and are full to the brim with minerals and vitamins and also contain complex carbohydrates

The yellow pea isn’t just good for you; it’s also a champ for the environment. Farmers smartly use yellow peas as a rotation crop, giving the soil a breather for next year’s harvest, and this crop ‘feeds’ the soil with different compounds. On top of that, this pea brings nitrogen back into the soil. Plus, they require less land and water to harvest compared to other crops.

So, when you’re enjoying those yellow peas, you’re not just having a tasty treat, you’re part of a healthy and eco-friendly ensemble.

We know all about a varied diet, and how it improves healthy memory, and concentration and can even increase your level of optimism and protect you from depression.

Most of us probably notice now that our diet has a big impact on our mood, concentration, and even our level of happiness. But there is always that temptation for the quick fix when we are tired and hungry. Those easy-to-grab snacks seem to be emotionally driven. The Japanese even have a word for this feeling, kuchisabishii, which translates to a ‘lonely mouth’.

Another thing we are growing more aware of is how some foods are more difficult to digest especially when we are over tired, run down, or feeling a little low. Not allergies that are life-threatening but intolerances like wheat.

If you have a wheat intolerance, symptoms such as bloating, cramps, diarrhoea tend to develop more slowly and can occur up to hours after eating wheat. With shelves full of wheat replacements it’s fair to say most are not great in taste or texture. As well as the fact that a simple pasta dish is so easy when you are feeling kuchisabishii.

The analytics team from RenomowaneKasyno team reminds that the Romans already knew how to mix dough from flour and water and roll it into a wide, thin sheet called lagana, but the most important elements of “modern” pasta only took shape in the Middle Ages, this includes a variety of shapes: wide, narrow, short, long, perforated, with filling inside.

Most pasta replacements come nowhere near the taste let alone the texture of real pasta, but a newbie to the marketplace is just as good if not better. Zenb, a Japanese pasta replacement made from yellow split peas, a unique single ingredient. This is a plant-based food option without sacrificing taste and texture, and texture in pasta is really important, as it should be cooked ‘el dente’ as any Italian or super pasta fan knows.

But what does it really taste like and how does the slight bite we want from our pasta work? Well, we tried it out for you.

At .Cent every day the whole team stops and sits down to a healthy home-cooked lunch. Since the magazine started in 2002 we have kept this tradition in place. It is in place not just so that we all eat a healthy meal but it’s good for mental, physical and even spiritual health and helps build the family feel of the office. So what better way to test put the pasta than a week of purely Zenb products for lunch? What did we have and most importantly what did we think?

Monday: Fusilli pasta with Mushroom Ragu pre-cooked and baked in the oven for six people.

We took one and a half packets of Fusilli pasta boiled it according to the instructions and made sure it was stirred regularly. We added more mushrooms to the sauce sliced but still quite chunky. Afterwards, we mixed it together with some added mozzarella and baked it in the oven.

This was our first attempt at cooking the pasta and we ever so slightly undercooked it thinking it would cook more in the oven. We were so wrong and the pasta held its shape and texture perfectly, so no need to slightly undercook it if you were then turning it into a dish into a pasta bake.

The team’s response was:-

I honestly couldn’t find any difference between wheat pasta and this particular pasta. It was quite filling but very lightweight in the stomach. The mushroom sauce was flavourful adding more taste to it. I think I didn’t feel hungry for a quite lot of time after having lunch. But usually with the wheat pasta after an hour or so I would feel a little empty in my stomach. I loved the pasta and felt excited to taste the other sauces as well. Likhitha.

I am a pasta lover and am often picky when it comes to selecting my pasta choices, but trying the wheat-free pasta with mushroom sauce, exceeded my expectations. The texture was a bit different than usual but had a satisfying taste, and the mushroom infusion added a delightful depth. What stood out most was the perfect balance, I felt comfortably full without the usual post-meal heaviness. It’s a delicious and surprisingly light option, I highly recommend it for a satisfying yet refreshing meal. Janhavi

Fusilli with mushroom added mushroom and mozzarella was really nice. I agree that fusilli is a great choice of pasta for this dish, as it has a spiral shape that can hold the sauce better than penne. The mushrooms were tender and juicy, and they added some texture to the pasta. The sauce today was creamy and delicious, with a hint of garlic and onion. This was a satisfying meal and I’ll rate it Xuhui Xu

Tuesday: Penne with Aubergine Ragu with added mozzarella for vegetarians and added sausage for the meat eaters.

Today we got the cooking spot on and the texture was so perfect. We cooked the penne for four using one box, then used the Aubergine Ragu, again adding some mozzarella into the sauce as we heated it up. Once the pasta was cooked it was tipped into the sauce and given a quick mix. For those that had the sausage version, this was heated separately chopped and added to the sauce.

The team’s response was:-

The aubergine sauce had a lot of flavour and the pasta had the perfect springy texture and still tasted fresh It was very hard to tell that it wasn’t normal pasta and I would probably try this in my own recipes Jingya

The whole non-wheat pasta is so modern, finally a pasta that I can eat at lunch in the middle of the day, and not feel bloated or exhausted after Jillian

I wanted to say the pasta today was really good. It was perfectly cooked, making it very enjoyable to eat. Thanks for a great first meal at Cent! Mi

Wednesday: Spaghetti with .Cent’s own Office Olive Pesto This olive pesto is a family favourite at .Cent and we eat it as often as once a week. Even those who don’t like olives love the sauce made with Olives, Capers, Garlic, Lemon, Parsley and Olive Oil.

We thought it would be good to try one of our own much-loved sauces and with the Zenb spaghetti to do an honest comparison. We were all Blown away. We cooked one and a half packets of spaghetti for six of us, as we would normally do, once drained we mixed in our pesto.

The team’s response was:-

The olive pasta was heavenly. It was light and filling yet energizing. The olives added a zesty touch to the pasta. It was also cool to have an Italian help cook the pasta! (Camilla from the team cooked the Zenb today) I had no clue the pasta had no wheat in it until I was told it was an experiment the office was doing. Emily

The spaghetti is still really nice, it did absorb the sauce so well😻. The olive pest was nice as well 👍👍. The flavour is so rich with garlic, I haven’t try olive as paste before, and this one literally impressed me a lot! Very nice. Xuhui Xu

As an Italian, my entire culture bases itself on carbs and wheat. The idea of a pasta dish reminds me of that nurturing and safe feeling home gives you, some things so visceral and sweet it can’t truly be explained. It’s then complicated, to fully understand the concept of ‘substitutes’ when talking about something so close to your culture and therefore, your heart. However, even if sceptical not only this wheat-free pasta is only slightly different from the regular one, but it adds something to the ‘normal’ pasta experience.  In Italy, pasta is one of the most common meals as incredibly versatile, which doesn’t change in this case. The wheat-free pasta happily marries the sauce thanks to its delicate and enjoyable taste.  Also, it kept me fuller and satisfied for longer Camilla

Thursday: Macaroni with Cherry Tomato Gourment sauce with Garlic and Basil sauce with added Serrano ham and Mozzarella.

This was our second bake of the week. Again the pasta was pre-cooked again to perfection, with no need to take off the heat early because we were then going to add it to a bake. This time we used the brand’s Cherry Tomato Gourment sauce with Garlic and Basil sauce and added some Mozzarella to the tomato bake for the vegetarians and some cut-up Serrano ham to the meat version. Both were then baked in the oven with a grating of parmesan over the top.

This is what they said:-

The Baked Pasta good today as the other day. The sauce tasted homemade, despite being already prepared, and the macaroni noodles were cooked wonderfully. Again, if blindfolded I would not be able to taste/tell the difference. Another wonderful surprise! Perhaps the most convincing is that I don’t feel as weighed down as one normally does after eating pasta. Emily

The one difference is actually a big plus point. The absence of wheat made the pasta easier to digest and overall lighter on the stomach. Definitely a fair alternative for people who struggle with digesting wheat. Jingya

I never eat wheat alternatives, but I could hardly tell the difference between this and normal pasta. I enjoyed the tomato pasta the most, the sauce coated it nicely and the texture was soft. After lunch, I felt satisfied but not heavy or lethargic; the pasta was light, full of flavour and extremely versatile.  Eliza

Friday: Quick Cook Pasta Agile with Red Pepper Gourmet Pasta Sauce 

For our last meal of the week, we again looked at a dish we eat often here. It’s a pasta dish made with a Tuscan/Spanish-inspired sauce, utilising lots of red pepper garlic and smoked sweet paprika. We usually have Israeli Couscous or called P’tititm (which is little round balls of pasta). It’s another firm favourite. So this Agile cooked super quick, in two minutes. We had prepared the sauce by adding more onions, garlic and sweet paprika which was cooked off and then the Red pepper sauce by Zenb was added. Finally, the sauce was added to the Agile with some fresh parmesan added before serving.

And the final reaction of the week, a take on a really loved dish?

This wheat-free pasta resembles the original one in a more light way but still an authentic way. Despite the slight difference in the texture (but still enjoyable), The product doesn’t excessively diverge from the normal pasta’s flavour. Iris

These tiny pasta shapes are really similar to the ones we usually use, except they cook even quicker. divine in the red pepper sauce but also these would be good to use in clear light soups to give more depth and texture. Never would have known they were not wheat pasta had I not been told. Jo

As pasta by definition is very versatile, and considering I’ve had the option to try the product with two different sauces, I can affirm it compliments each sauce well, without interfering with the flavour at all. Camilla

The humble beginnings of Zenb’s parent company, Mitzkan, make Zenb a natural expansion of their environmental consciousness that has always sat in front of the mind of Mitzkan.

Mitzkan, this family-owned company for 210 years, originated from taking the leftovers of sake lees(a by-product of brewing sake which was normally thrown away) and using them to make vinegar. Fast forward 210 years later, they continue to invest in businesses that focus efforts on sustainability.

Zenb comes from the Japanese expression for whole, zenbu (全部). because the company strives to use the whole of the plant so that nothing goes to waste. This yellow pea pasta uses all of the peas including its shells and stems so there is no waste.

So quick, healthy, delicious, crave-worthy pasta for us, for healthy bodies, and aiding the health of the world around us Wheat-free pasta and ready made sauces. We really can’t ask for more. Whether you go down the fully plant-based options of the brand or add in other elements be pleasantly surprised by this most recognisable of legumes; quite frankly a miracle of nature. here lovingly crafted into a pasta option for all. And if you don’t tell people you serve they are not eating wheat pasta they probably won’t guess.

Zenb has five pasta shapes, Five pasta sauces as well as Japanese style Noodles, Aile Bow lunch pots, two veggie mashes, and three flavours of healthy cracker bites just in case your mouth is really sad and needs you to pop something in very quickly.

To find out everything you want to know about Zenb please visit Zenb.co.uk

If you enjoyed reading Pasta Just Got Better why not read A Chilled View Here

.Cent Magazine London, Be Inspired; Get Involved