Brown Rice Pasta vs Whole Wheat Pasta, Which is Better and Why

Greetings, fellas! So, today, I will be talking about pasta, one of the best rice alternatives, whose origin lies in Italy. However, we will specifically be talking about brown rice pasta vs whole wheat pasta, for health conscious people and we’ll get to know which is better and why.

Healthy Pasta

Talking about the whole wheat pasta, it is the same as the one made with durum wheat. One major difference though is that unlike usual wheat pasta, the whole wheat pasta contains the goodness of the “whole” grain as the name suggests anyway.

So, in the whole wheat pasta, the grain is not refined further, in fact the three main parts of the grain – the bran, the germ and the endosperm remain intact.

As for the brown rice pasta, it is understandably made with the ground brown rice. Hence, it is packed with all the benefits and flavors of the said ingredient.

The Nutritional Values

People today are highly conscious about their food intake especially those who want to stay fit and active.

Some people are adding pasta to their diet for bodybuilding – nutritional quantities are compared as to choose what food will be most healthy.

So, I deemed it appropriate to bring their nourishing values to your knowledge.

Brown Rice Pasta Nutrition per 1 cup serving

• Calories- 390 g
• Carbohydrates – 78 g
• Proteins –  7 g
• Fat – 4 g
• Fiber – 2 g
• Potassium – 160.2 mg

The fiber in the brown rice pasta is mainly the insoluble fiber – keeps your digestive system working properly, softens the stool and aids in passing the stool out.

The high amount of carbs in the brown rice pasta helps provide energy to the cells in your body.

Whole Wheat Pasta (Cooked) Nutrition per 1 cup serving

• Calories- 172.6 g
• Carbohydrates – 36.1 g
• Proteins –  7.2 g
• Fat – 0.6 g
• Fiber – 5.9 g
• Potassium – 62 mg

Now, these might not be as striking as you would expect. But consider this, one-cup serving of cooked whole wheat spaghetti contain about 23% of your daily fiber intake and 16% of your protein – now, that is substantial!

It is also highly enriched with vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber, as the values suggest.

Brown Rice Pasta vs Whole Wheat Pasta

On the whole, both kind of pastas serve as one of the best alternative to the usual, white pasta. Therefore, health conscious people who look for the healthiest options can opt for either of the two pastas.

However, they individually benefit some people more than others. For instance, people with Celiac disease or those who are allergic to gluten can enjoy the scrumptious pasta dishes by using the brown rice pasta as it is gluten free.

In addition to this, anyone who is living with a sensitive stomach and has digestion issues, brown rice pasta works best for them. Similarly, whole wheat pasta have been known to diminish the probability of obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer.

However, they should then abstain from having other starchy items with it. It is also fitting for the people who wish to increase their consumption of proteins and fibers.

How to cook the two pastas?

Okay, so now that we have looked at the technicalities of the two kinds of pasta in question, let’s dig deeper into cooking them. You mouth is watering already, isn’t it?

Well, let’s first talk about boiling the pastas and then we will share two lip-smacking recipes with you.

They all follow the same guidelines for boiling. The crucial part is checking for the tenderness and achieving al dente – firm to bite.

Brown Rice Penne with Eggplant

Ingredients

• 16-oz. brown rice penne
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups eggplant (about 1 small) – cubed
• 1 cup onion (about 1 medium) – chopped finely
• 3 garlic minced cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper – crushed
• 26-oz fat-free pasta sauce
• 1/3 cup fresh basil – finely chopped
• 6 oz. Italian-blend or Parmesan cheese, divided and shredded

Procedure

• Boil pasta as the instructions on the packet read. Do not add salt or oil.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot.!
• Heat the oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet.
• Sauté egg plant and onion for 8 minutes or until onions show brown color.
• Add garlic and cook for 3 more minutes.
• Now stir in salt, pepper and pasta sauce and wait for it to simmer
• Cook it for further 5 minutes on reduced heat and add basil after removing the skillet from the heat.
• Now toss the pasta and the cooked mixture together; later add one cup cheese and toss it again gently.
• Dress the tossed pasta with remaining cheese and you are good to endeavor the scrumptious meal!

Whole Wheat Lasagna Roll-ups

Ingredients

• 6-8 cooked lasagne strips
• 1/8 cup milk
• 6 ounces Greek yogurt  – plain
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 1/2 – 3 cups tomato sauce
• chopped fresh parsley for sprinkling

Procedure

• Oven needs to be preheated at 375° F.
• Take a bowl and mix the milk, Greek Yogurt, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper together.
• Spread the mixture evenly on the lasagne strips.
• Top the mixture with mozzarella cheese and careful start to roll the strips. Ensure you are leaving about ¼ cup of mozzarella for later sprinkling.
• Take the baking dish and pour half the tomato sauce in it.
• Carefully place each roll in the sauce, seam side facing downwards.
• Pour in the remaining tomato sauce all over the rolls and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Now, cover the baking dish with a foil and bake the rolls for 30 minutes.
• Bake for another 15 minutes after removing the foil so that the cheese melts.
• Before serving, let the rolls cool down and dress with fresh parsley!

The Best Way to Cook Pasta

Rice cookers are another vessel in which you can cook pasta and thanks to them, more conveniently so! It does not require you to wait until the water boils or drain the pasta after it has boiled.

All you have to do is pour a cup of pasta in the cooker and fill it with the correct amount of water. To get the ideal texture, water covering the pasta is enough.

However, you can fill it 1/8 inch inch to ¼ inch above the pasta, depending on how soft you like your pasta. Also, add one tablespoon of oil and a bit of a salt.

You can use multi-function rice cookers such as Japanese models so you will have the freedom to do more while cooking.

You can also take advantage of the keep warm function of most rice cookers today! Wanna know one really cool bit about cooking in the rice cooker?

You can easily cook one-pot pasta meals using only the rice cooker!

A Win-win Match

If you ask me, I do not think there is a better option between the two – brown rice pasta or the whole wheat pasta. Both of them are fairly healthy and are able to use as alternatives.

However, it all comes down to two main differences – gluten tolerance of the consumer and diabetes! If you are someone who is allergic to gluten or have Celiac disease, then brown rice pasta is a better fit.

Similarly, if you are diabetic, the whole wheat pasta will be a better option. Otherwise, you might opt for either of the two and be completely satisfied given the kind of pasta dish you make with them.

This just proves that rice is certainly a magical grain that is able to give us overwhelming benefits. Do you know other great pasta recipes? Share it with us in the comments below!