Today is World Pasta Day! We celebrate it with Dr. Arantza López-Ocaña, which explains its properties and how to eat pasta in a healthy way. Almost everyone likes a food: pasta; it is easy to make, very versatile in the kitchen and there is a huge variety: it is available in many forms (knuckles, noodles, noodles, spaghetti, fusilli...) and colors (red, green, black...); we can find it with egg, stuffed, fresh or dried... As advice, it is recommended that whenever you eat pasta it is whole grain (generally, it is usually eaten refined) which will allow us to take advantage of the nutritional benefits it provides:

• Slowly absorbed carbohydrates, with a high-energy value, so its consumption is interesting in people who perform a lot of physical activity.
• Its contribution of fiber can help regulate cholesterol levels and combat constipation.
• Barely fat intake (we are talking about the pasta, not about the sauces that can be added to it and this is where you have to be careful).
• Low protein intake (11%) and low intake of vitamins and minerals (unless they are enriched); but, to highlight some, small contribution of Vitamins E and B.

The base of the most consumed pasta is wheat semolina with water; but today there is a wide variety of pasta on the market made with other raw materials such as:

• Spelt: is an ancient variety of wheat (its use dates back 7,000 years) that provides a greater amount of protein (14.5%) than common wheat (11%), more fiber, vitamins B and E, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium etc (not in large quantities).
• Rice paste: another cereal, typical of Asian food (rice noodles for example), suitable for celiacs.
• Lentil pasta: In this case, it is a legume, with which it gives us all its properties (higher protein percentage, of high biological value) and without producing the annoying airs that legumes usually produce; also tolerated by celiacs.
• Buckwheat pasta: Although it is called wheat, it is not really a cereal (it comes from a plant of the rhubarb and sorrel family) but it has a high percentage of carbohydrates. It is rich in proteins and very rich in vitamins of group B; in addition, it is tolerated by celiacs.

As we can see, depending on the choice, pasta can have many properties, and if they are added to those provided by other ingredients such as canned fish (with its high value in omega3, proteins, minerals and vitamins A, D and B12), nutritious and delicious. Here are some ideas for healthy and delicious pasta recipes:

• Pasta (wholemeal or buckwheat) sautéed with garlic, basil, pine nuts and salted anchovies.
• Lentil Pasta salad with radishes, mussels and white tuna in EVOO.
• Stir-fried rice noodles with vegetables, sesame seeds, cockles and salmon.
• Wholemeal pasta salad with tuna
• Lentil pasta salad with lamb’s lettuce and tuna

Happy Pasta Day!

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