Love pasta but can’t do gluten? Or do you hate the idea of empty carbs? Or maybe you miss ramen as much as I do.
Here’s a solution: NuPasta. It’s made with konjac, a mountain plant whose root is a bit like taro but instead of starch contains tons of fibre.
Which is why each single serving container of this stuff contains 25 calories and 6 grams of water-soluble dietary fibre, and pretty much nothing else. It’s lauded as a health product because, as a dietary fibre, it doesn’t have any sugars or carbs to spike your glucose levels, making it good for people with diabetes. It’s also supposed to fill the stomach and make you feel fuller, leaving you not as bloated as a full plate of regular pasta. Plus, all that fibre is supposed to help digestion. In case this is starting to sound ridiculous, the NuPasta website links to a bunch of studies to support these health claims.
Konjac is grown in Japan, Korea, and China. This particular product comes from China. In Japan it’s called konnyaku and is apparently sold by as many brands as pasta is in North America.
The only turn-off I found with NuPasta was the smell. You open the container, drain it, rinse the noodles and then add them to a heated sauce or broth. But the smell is a bit funky and I really didn’t like it with tomato sauce. They’re not the best with anything bitter or anything too sweet.
But what it works especially well with are soups and noodle stir-fries – especially with salty, savoury and garlic-y sauces and broths. The texture is a bit firmer with a lot more snap than regular pasta, which is also why I liked it better in soups (like a ramen replacement) than as spaghetti with meatballs.
Although, they were awesome with my Spicy Indian eggplant. So maybe it depends on the tomato sauce. If the sauce is delicious, the pasta will work just fine.
My favourite creation, though, was this spiced chicken noodle soup with ginger and mint. 
Spiced Chicken Noodle Soup with Ginger and Mint
Makes 4 servings
Spice mix:
1/4 cup chana dal, toor dal, chickpeas or yellow split peas
2 small, dried chili peppers, seeded and torn into small pieces
1 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 tsp salt
7 cups chicken broth
1-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
3 packages NuPasta spaghetti, fettuccine or angel hair pasta
Mint sprigs to garnish
Toast the dal, chickpeas or split peas in a small, oil-free skillet. After a few minutes of shaking the pan or stirring, add the coriander, cumin and black peppercorns. Stir for 1 minute more, or until aromatic and the cumin is darkened but not burned. Pour into a small bowl and let cool completely. Once cool, grind to a powder and combine with the salt and chicken pieces.
Bring the broth to a boil and add the ginger and chicken pieces. Return to a boil then lower the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.
Drain NuPasta and rinse under running water. Divide between bowls and pour hot soup over top. Garnish with mint.
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