Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook until pasta reaches your desired tenderness. Pasta is best enjoyed al dente (“to the teeth”), where the pasta is cooked and tender, but still has some texture when bitten. Pasta cooked al dente retains its rich B vitamin content and lowers its GI index, helping to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

Pasta is made from durum wheat, which is a source of complex carbohydrates, fibre and B vitamins. Complex carbohydrates and fibre can help to maintain blood sugar levels and help you feel “full” and satisfied for a longer time.

Pasta is a great source of complex carbohydrates, which are considered to be “slow digestible”, meaning your body does not “burn” them as quickly as simple sugars or other carbohydrates. Therefore, eating pasta will give you more energy for a longer period of time.

B vitamins and fibre are the gratis of pasta, which protect against diabetes, cardiovascular complications, constipation and colon cancer and are important for the neural system and metabolism to operate properly.

We know the benefits of complex carbohydrates, fibre and B vitamins, but there’s more that pasta can provide for an athlete.

The unique combination of nutrition in pasta can have a significant effect on the "re-storage of glycogen by the muscles", otherwise known as post-competition or post-exercise recovery. Pasta, particularly when consumed within one hour after exercise, is effective in the formation of glycogen, which is consumed as fuel by the body during exercise.

It has also been proven that pasta is very effective for “carbo-loading”, where athletes consume large amounts of carbohydrates pre- and in-competition, giving them energy stores to help their performance.

Professional athletes are advised to consume carbohydrate sources with low glycemic index before exercise or competition, helping to prevent blood sugar from lowering quickly and causing the athlete to “crash”. Pasta is one of these low-glycemic index foods that can be consumed an hour before the competition or exercise.

Whole wheat pasta provides a longer feeling of fullness, or satiety, due to its long digestive time. This makes it suitable for patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, who must watch their blood sugar at all times. Pasta is rich in B vitamins, which are very important for the neural system and metabolism. Pasta’s fibre content can also help to regulate blood cholesterol and support heart health.

Grapeseed pasta is unique because it has very high antioxidant content, containing 20 times as many antioxidants than Vitamin E and 50 times as many as Vitamin C.

Antioxidants are used to combat free radicals in the body, which are molecules in the body that damage healthy cells. When consumed, antioxidants enter the bloodstream and attach themselves to free radicals, neutralizing the chain reactions caused by free radicals that would damage these cells. A healthy diet should always contain foods rich in antioxidants.

While gluten-free pasta can be enjoyed by almost anyone, people with celiac diseases and other dietary restrictions should be careful to only consume gluten-free pasta. As part of Arbella’s commitment to social responsibility, our diverse line of pastas includes gluten-free pasta that meets the needs of people with celiac diseases.