Healthful whole-grain pastas

When we tried these nutrient-packed pastas in Sunset's test kitchen, we were surprised to find that most brands of whole-grain spaghetti and linguine were nearly indistinguishable from traditional refined-flour pastas. Stirred into a simple soup with kale and parmesan, they were mild-tasting, tender, and delicate.

We noticed more of a difference with heftier, extruded pastas, such as penne, rotini, ziti, and fusilli. Because their flavor is stronger, these pastas work best with assertive sauces, such as the tangy lemon-yogurt sauce on our pasta salad.

When shopping for whole-grain pastas, it's important to know that the amount and type of whole grain varies from brand to brand, from multigrain blends such as Barilla Plus to 100 percent whole-wheat brands like Bionaturae.

We particularly liked the flavor and texture of whole-wheat pastas made by De Cecco, but all the brands we tried worked well in the recipes above.