Pasta’s Next Great Leap Includes New Global Horizons and Greater Nutrition
Product developers have turned to cuisine cultures ranging from Eastern Europe to Turkey to North Africa to bring greater variety, and nutrition, to the humble noodle dish
The next wave of pasta products boasts a world’s worth of influences and a host of new nutritional benefits, all introduced through ingredients novel to noodles and largely nonexistent in the pasta and prepared pasta meal spaces. Exploring beyond Italian and Asian, product developers have turned to cuisine cultures ranging from Eastern Europe to Turkey to North Africa to bring greater variety, and nutrition, to the humble noodle dish.
When exploring the varieties of pasta preparations found in countries off the well-trod culinary path, the first aspect noticed is the variety of grains, seeds, legumes, and even vegetable flours used in crafting noodles. For example, the North African koshari, a dish popular in Egypt made with wheat pasta, rice, and lentils seasoned with garlic, fried onions, and, in some cases, a small amount of tomato and herbs.