Penne Pasta

Penne Pasta is a grain product that can be made from the flour of whole wheat, white wheat, gluten-free rice, corn, and other ingredients. It normally is a grain that is made in two forms:

• Wet pasta – made with eggs and other ingredients can be store for only a few days.
• Dry pasta – made with out eggs can be stored in a cool dry space for almost 2 years.

As a grain product, pasta is high in carbohydrates. Penne pasta is served as side dish or ingredients of a main dish. Penne pasta is popular because the sauce stays inside the tube for more flavor. A good idea is to balance the high carb of penne pasta with a protein to slow down the rapid emptying of the stomach – otherwise you will feel hungry very soon.

Health Benefits of Penne Pasta
Penne pasta is healthiest when made with whole grain like whole wheat, whole corn, etc. The dietary fiber you get from eating whole grain pasta comes in 2 forms:

1. Soluble fiber which forms a gel to capture bile acids and takes the bile out of the body. Bile acids contain pieces of cholesterol. If not removed by the gel-like soluble fiber, the bile acids are recycled to produce more cholesterol.
2. Insoluble fiber which is not broken down by the body helps to add bulk to stool and move it through and out of the intestines. This action prevents constipation and diseases like irritable bowel syndrome.

An additional health benefit of eating whole grain penne pasta is the carbs are slowly released into the blood stream. This action reduces the blood sugar spike that diabetics may experience with white flour pasta.

Nutritional Information: