Explore Cuisine gives pasta night a whole new meaning. Since I am familiar with Explore Asian, I was intrigued to see Explore moved beyond Asian products. The noodle enthusiast brand took simple vegetables and reinvented them into delicious vegan pasta alternatives. I was curious to see how ingredients such as kale, carrots, coconut, cilantro and chickpeas could formulate to such pure deliciousness.
After my night of taste testing Explore Cuisine’s Red Lentil Penne, Chickpea Fusilli and Edamame Spaghetti, I’ve come to the conclusion that these bean-based pastas are a complete game changer!
So Much More Than Carbs
With these pastas, vegans can easily void the “where do you get your protein?” question when exploring a vegan diet. Both the Red Lentil Penne and the Chickpea Fusilli are made up of 11 grams of protein. The Edamame Spaghetti is made up of an impressive 25 grams of protein. Protein heaven if you ask me! These vegan pasta alternatives even feed your body a healthy amount of fiber, calcium and iron.
Flavor Like No Other Pasta
Rich in flavor, the ingredients of each pasta are perfect to prepare for any lunch or dinner, on any day of the week. The red lentil flour and organic brown rice flour are fantastic alternatives to the chewy, tasteless penne other brands provide. Explore’s penne had an enjoyable, smooth texture. The Chickpea Fusilli had a soft, flexible texture. Made up of just green soybeans, the Edamame Spaghetti was thin and delicious.
Personally, the Edamame pasta was my favorite not only because of the rich taste, but it was unlike any pasta I had ever tried. It was my first and most curious choice as I had never had edamame in pasta. It was great; everything I expected and more. With the chickpea pasta, I added whole chickpeas and diced tomatoes so that my other vegetables did not overshadow the taste of the pasta I was searching for. I incorporated more diced tomatoes along with a non-dairy cheese alternative, melted over the penne (lasagna inspired!). With the edamame pasta, I added shredded carrots with a few pieces of soy chunks.
Explore Cuisine’s vegan pasta alternatives can be cooked up with many different recipes and ingredients and I can guarantee they will be worthwhile each and every time. Check out the recipe below, themed just for spring!
Roasted Cauliflower Alfredo Edamame Spaghetti
Recipe and Image Credit: Cindy Gordon (Vegetarian Mamma)
Ingredients
4 cups of cauliflower florets
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
8 oz vegan cream cheese
1 tsp smoked paprika
Garlic cloves (optional)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 box of Explore Cuisine Organic Edamame Spaghetti
Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
1. Toss cauliflower with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes.
2. In a blender, combine roasted cauliflower, vegan cream cheese, smoked paprika, garlic (optional) and vegetable broth. Blend until smooth.
3. Warm sauce in sauce pan on stove.
4. Prepare spaghetti per directions on box.
5. Combine sauce and spaghetti. Gently toss to coat.
6. When ready to serve, place spaghetti onto plates, top with more smoked paprika and fresh parsley.
7. ENJOY!
Each box is priced $25 a box, certified gluten-free and has easy cooking instructions for those of you who have little or extensive practice in the kitchen. An organic, vegan pasta loaded with health benefits and flavor for your body, how can anyone pass that up?
Leave a Reply