SO good.

And it’s not bad for you.

But I love Banza pasta too, and I eat all the things I love! :)

Now that we’re clear…

Screen Shot 2019-01-11 at 9.23.36 PM.png

If you’ve never heard of it, Banza is pasta made from chickpeas. This means that is has less carbohydrates and more protein and fiber than traditional pasta. It’s not necessarily “low carb”, because chickpeas are still a carbohydrate source, but the carbohydrates that it does contain and complex and high in fiber.

Personally, I don’t find the taste of Banza to be all that different than traditional pasta; I’m pretty obsessed with chickpeas in any form (did somebody say hummus?!), but I don’t think that’s a flavor present in the pasta. The only difference I find is while cooking; white foam tends to accumulate above the boiling water. This is what happens when you cook chickpeas themselves, so it’s not weird or anything to worry about.

Along with the chickpeas that make up over 90% of the pasta, the ingredients in Banza include tapioca, pea protein, and xanthan gum. According to Banza, these ingredients help to add volume to the pasta and bind the chickpea flour together as somewhat of a vegan egg replacement, since the pasta is vegan.

They make all the different shapes and styles of pasta you could ever think of too:

And they’ve recently released a line of mac & cheese too!

Screen Shot 2019-01-18 at 7.44.11 PM.png

These aren’t vegan, but they are delicious:

Elbows & classic cheddar
Elbows & white cheddar
Shells & classic cheddar
Shells & white cheddar
Cacio e pepe (my favorite!)

Here are the nutrition facts and ingredient labels from a box of pasta and a box of mac & cheese:

Screen Shot 2019-01-11 at 9.18.37 PM.png

I’ve made so many different types of pasta, bowls, mac & cheese, and flavor combinations with Banza. If you’re looking for recipes to try, check out the Banza website for tons of ideas! I have one recipe on my blog as well, with more coming for sure!