Tag Archive for: carbohydrate counting

Legume pasta with spirulina and red pesto

Legume pasta with spirulina and red pesto is a recipe that combines intense flavour and nutritional value in a surprisingly well-balanced way. The star of the dish is Spinosi’s egg-based legume flour pasta, an excellent choice for those who wish to bring to the table a complete, satisfying first course that also supports metabolic wellbeing.

Compared to traditional pasta, this legume-based pasta stands out for its nutritional profile: it provides 43 g of carbohydrates, 27 g of protein and 9.6 g of fibre per 100 g of dry product. Carbohydrate content is significantly lower, while protein and fibre levels are considerably higher than in durum wheat pasta. This translates into greater satiety and a slower absorption of carbohydrates—an especially valuable aspect for maintaining more stable blood glucose levels over time. The presence of egg in the dough also enhances the overall protein quality, making the dish nutritionally more complete.

What makes this recipe even more interesting is spirulina, a microalga known for its rich content of micronutrients and antioxidant compounds. It gives the pasta its deep green colour while adding further nutritional value.

The sauce, a red pesto made with sun-dried tomatoes, nuts and Parmigiano Reggiano, completes the dish with a combination of healthy fats, savoury notes and aromatic depth, transforming a simple recipe into a rich and satisfying experience.

Legume pasta with spirulina and red pesto    

19g CHO per 100g of cooked and dressed pasta

 Ingredients for 4 servings

  • 400g Legume pasta Spinosi with spirulina**
  • 100g sun-dried tomatoes in oil*
  • 40g Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 30g peeled almonds
  • 30g pine nuts
  • salted ricotta
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • basil
  • pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Drain the sun-dried tomatoes thoroughly from their oil. Place the pine nuts and almonds in a non-stick pan and toast them for about 10 minutes.
  2. Transfer the tomatoes, pine nuts, almonds and grated Parmigiano Reggiano into a blender and blend until smooth. Add a pinch of black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and a little water as needed to achieve a creamy pesto consistency.
  3. Transfer the pesto to a large frying pan, big enough to toss the pasta once cooked.
  4. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water, drain it al dente (reserving some of the cooking water), and add it to the pan with the pesto. Toss over a high heat for a couple of minutes, adding a little cooking water if needed, until the pasta is well coated.
  5. Serve hot with a grating of salted ricotta and a few fresh basil leaves.

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Gluten-free milk rolls

Here is the recipe for soft and delicate Gluten-free milk rolls—perfect not only to accompany meals or breakfast, but also as a versatile base for other preparations. In particular, they work beautifully in one of the regional recipes featured in our culinary Giro d’Italia in 20 recipes.

Since white bread is not always the best ally for blood sugar levels, we can make a small but effective adjustment: replace 20 g of one of the gluten-free flours with 20 g of inulin. This simple swap helps slightly lower the glycaemic index without compromising texture or flavour.

Now it’s time to get your hands into the dough. Just a few steps, a little care, and the aroma of freshly baked bread will do the rest. Let’s prepare these gluten-free milk rolls together, ready to tell the story of a stage of our Giro d’Italia… one bite at a time.

ilaria-bertinelli-panini-al-latte

Gluten-free Milk Rolls

51g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for about 10 rolls

  • 400 g milk
  • 320 g gluten-free bread flour mix Nutrifree **
  • 100 g gluten-free bread flour mix Farmo **
  • 60 g wholegrain rice flour* (plus extra for dusting)
  • 50 g extra virgin olive oil
  • 12 g fresh baker’s yeast
  • 8 g fine salt
  • Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

 Preparation

 

  1. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk together with the sugar.
  2. Place the flours in a bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Gradually add the milk, mixing until smooth. Add the salt, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
  3. Using a spoon and a little rice flour, shape the dough into rolls of about 90 g each. Place them well spaced on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and brush the surface with extra virgin olive oil.
  4. Let the rolls rise until doubled in volume.
  5. Bake in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 200°C for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown.
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