Every Day With Rachael Ray

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Whole Grain Pastas

Trader Joe’s

Picky Eaters Will Love

BY DINA CHENEY | PHOTOGRAPH BY LUCAS ZAREBINSKI

Rao’s

best for pesto

TRADER JOE’S ORGANIC WHOLE WHEAT PASTA

$1.29 for 1 pound, at Trader Joe’s stores Some whole grain pastas are blah, while others taste like bitter cardboard. But this line of penne, rotelle and spaghetti gets it just right with a comforting, starchy wheat flavor. “It’s got personality but still lets other ingredients shine,” one taster said. That makes it perfecto for intense sauces like pesto. “I bet even my skeptical husband would be impressed!” another panelist raved.

Al Dente

best for red sauces RAO’S HOMEMADE WHOLE WHEAT PENNE RIGATE $5.49 for 17. 6 ounces, at most grocery stores Who knew pasta could be so darn sexy? Our tasters quickly ran out of superlatives to describe the come-hither, enveloping shape of this oversize penne. “A thick red sauce would hug every nook and cranny on these babies,” one panelist enthused while eyeing the deep grooves on each noodle. Made by hand in Puglia, Italy, it has, as one panelist described it, a “perfectly chewy, toothsome bite.”

best for creamy sauces AL DENTE WHOLE WHEAT FE TTUCCINE PLUS FLAX $3.99 for 12 ounces, at most grocery stores Pasteurized eggs give this fettuccine the rich taste and velvety texture of egg noodles, and flaxseed adds a sweet earthiness. The delicate, flavorful ribbons are made to soak up a creamy cheese sauce like alfredo—or something even simpler. “Give me a warm bowl of this pasta tossed with salted butter and parmesan and I’ll be happy,” one panelist said.

Annie Chun’s

Rach says: Don’t forget to reserve a mugful of starchy cooking water when draining your pasta. Simply add a splash or two to the sauce when tossing to achieve the desired consistency.

best for Asian sauces ANNIE CHUN’S JAPANESE SOBA NOODLES $2.99 for 12 ounces, at most grocery stores “These noodles taste so fresh! Are you sure they came dried, out of a box?” one taster asked. Indeed! Once cooked, the strands turn light and springy, due to egg whites and a little wheat flour. The complex, nutty flavor comes from buckwheat flour—the main ingredient in traditional Japanese soba. Serve the noodles with a peanut sauce, or take the lead of another panelist, who planned to make her family a soba-and-veggie stir-fry.