Growing up, I was never a big fan of spaghetti. Spaghettios? Not if you paid me! To be clear, I did look forward to spaghetti night, but I never ate the pasta. And I loathed ground beef and sausage so my mother (God bless her) would make extra sauce and I would sit with the family and enjoy my sauce and a few token bread sticks, of course. In high school, I started eating the pasta too because I was an athlete and was under the whole “CARB LOAD” before a meet or a lengthy practice … in fact, I usually ate cold spaghetti for breakfast. That or scalloped potatoes, but that’s another story.

As I got older and consequently terrified of carbs, I stepped away from eating pasta again … and I mean let’s face it, while it tastes good, traditional mass-produced dried pasta from the grocery store doesn’t have any nutritional value whatsoever. There. I said it. But, nowadays everything’s changed. Nowadays, “pasta” is some of the most nutrient-dense foods out there … not all pasta … but some. Especially the different plant-based varieties that Explore Cuisine makes. The company uses all different kinds of legumes to enhance different cuts of “pasta” … there’s black  bean and sesame, edamame and spirulina, fava bean, and my favorite the edamame and mung bean fettuccine.

With over 40 grams of protein and 24 grams of fiber in a 3.5 ounce serving, it’s literally a power food–PERfect for athletes! and non-athletes alike.

I have had the black bean spaghetti, the green lentil penne, the chickpea fusilli, and the chickpea spaghetti and I’m dying to try the lasagna. And to be clear, while I’m still not a big of fan of adding any kind of “meat” (truth be known, if I’m going to eat spaghetti I prefer it with fresh basil, chopped tomato and maybe a little pesto like the main photo) but I will tell you that the crumbles and the meatballs that Lightlife makes are absolutely AMAZING and the addition makes spaghetti a perfect plant-based dinner … or breakfast, if you so choose : )

DISCLAIMER: Our recipes are just that, ours. Some are modified versions of dishes we’ve had elsewhere or old-favorites that contained animal proteins that we replaced with plant-based options, while others are a concentrated effort of trial and error. But all are intended to be altered by you and made to suit your tastes. So if you want more garlic or none at all, go for it. You do you ; ) Now for the serious part … periodically this site does offer health, nutrition and exercise information. The information provided is not intended as medical advice and is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice given by a licensed physician or other health-care professional. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, consult your physician and never delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this site is solely at your own risk.