Last weekend my family was killing time on Montana Ave while we waited for a restaurant to open. Anyone with a baby and an early bedtime can relate. Anyway, we bumped into a food truck promoting “skinnypasta” and they asked us if we’d like a sample to take home. Here I am, one week later, cooking it up in our kitchen giving it a try. Overall impression: Great! I would absolutely buy it again.

I followed one of the recipes the company provides on its website for Mediterranean pasta using red onion, black olives, cherry tomatoes, and herbs. It was simple and delicious, and can be found here. Next time I’ll probably add some artichoke hearts and mushrooms too.

Things I like about the pasta:

– Its nutritional profile. The fact that I can enjoy a big bowl of pasta without feeling sluggish afterward is amazing. It is extremely high in vegetarian protein and has half the calories and carbs than a bowl of traditional pasta.

– It is filling without being heavy. I felt very satisfied after eating it and didn’t have the hankering for “something more.” Many pasta alternatives (like spaghetti squash) taste delicious, but I’m still hungry at the end of the meal.

– I didn’t have to add a protein to the dish. I had a chicken breast in the fridge waiting to be used, but I saved it for another day since I got all the protein I needed in the pasta itself. We love meat around this house, but we don’t eat it often. The majority of our meals are vegetarian solely because we are able to maintain a healthier diet without it.

– It cooks extremely fast: two minutes, to be precise. Will you judge me if I admit I get impatient while I’m waiting for pasta to cook? It’s not an issue with skinnypasta. This was the easiest and quickest meal I’ve had as far as I can remember.

So that’s it: skinnypasta will certainly make a repeat appearance in our household. It’s currently for sale at the Whole Foods in Canada, but has yet to hit the shelves at our local store. The company is beginning its U.S. distribution in Los Angeles and expanding from there. Stay tuned!