NOW Foods - Organic Quinoa Penne - 8 oz.

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I’ve gotten quite a few questions from you guys about how to avoid mushy quinoa, so I just had to share. I typed up the full recipe and instructions for you below. Basil: It gives this quinoa pasta salad the unique ‘Italian’ flavor (along with balsamic vinegar). So I don’t recommend a substitute for it. Also note that this ancient gain pasta is primarily quinoa, along with a much smaller amount of flax. Besides water, quinoa and flax are the only two ingredients. Many quinoa pastas sold at the store will have rice flour as their primary ingredient (rice is not an ancient grain). However, they are marketed as quinoa pasta instead of rice pasta. This ancient grain quinoa pasta is actually quinoa pasta. How to Make Quinoa Pasta

Serve immediately or chill to serve later. This Italian quinoa salad can be eaten cold or at room temperature. Either way, it tastes delicious! Tips To Make The Best Italian Quinoa SaladQuinoa noodles are quite healthy, especially when compared to other pasta and grain products. Here are some benefits they offer. Highly Nutritious In fact, the year 2013 was named “The International Year of Quinoa” by the UN because of its valuable qualities and potential to fight world hunger. Flavourful! From nutty quinoa, juicy cucumbers, sweet peppers, tangy olives and fresh dill, there’s so many wonderful flavours and textures to enjoy! Two flavonoid plant compounds that have been particularly well studied are quercetin and kaempferol. These are the main flavonoids found in quinoa ( 6).

Veggie Pastas: Veggie pasta can include be a variety of noodles. Some veggie pastas are spiralized veggies such as zucchini. They may also use a flour such as durum wheat and be combined with a vegetable such as zucchini, sweet potato, or spinach in making the noodle. Others are just spiralized vegetables, which is a way of cutting a vegetable to give it a noodle-like shape to give the appearance of being a “pasta.” Quinoa vs Pasta Nutrition This quinoa pasta salad tastes delicious on its own and can be eaten as a well-balanced vegetarian meal. Although studies have not shown consistent results, a diet high in antioxidants is thought to help fight inflammation in the body ( 15). Whether quinoa is your jam or you love traditional pasta. The good news is that the stores are filled with whole-grain pastas, healthy grains, and alternative pasta options that there are surely options that can satisfy your taste buds and health. This is one of its most unique qualities and makes it a very valuable source of protein, especially for someone whose diet is mostly plant-based.Feel free to sub or omit any veggies you’re not fond of. Some other options that would be great here include:

Scroll down for the full recipe, plus a short video showing my technique and 10 of my favorite quinoa recipes. For even more quinoa inspiration, you can view all of my quinoa recipes here.Italian herbs: Use dried basil, oregano and thyme, if available. They can be substituted with ¾ teaspoon of Italian seasoning. By including nutritious foods like quinoa in your diet, you will significantly increase your total intake of these and other antioxidant compounds. Summary However, by rinsing, soaking, or sprouting the quinoa prior to cooking, you can reduce the antinutrient content and make these minerals more bioavailable ( 16). Vegetables: Use any salad vegetables you have in your fridge: peppers, carrots, onions, cucumbers, romaine, celery, etc. I’ve used Japanese cucumber which is crunchier than most other types. I use it in my other salads, too, like mung bean salad. One large review found that consuming just 16 grams of fiber from whole grains per day was linked to a 33% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes ( 10).