Today I am trying out and reviewing Aldi Black Bean Spaghetti. With my Italian roots you can understand that I’m no stranger to pasta and this is going to be interesting.
Aldi Black Bean Spaghetti
Over the years I’ve tried many different brands, fresh and dried. When wholewheat pasta first came onto the market I’ll readily admit that I wasn’t a fan. When I tried it again recently I’m delighted to report that it was much much better.
In recent years many gluten free varieties have come onto the market. Because of their ‘gluten free’ credentials some such products seem to command a much higher cost, and for me they are so far removed from what I know the texture and flavour of pasta to be that I would rather not waste my money. I can however appreciate a need for them.
Out shopping recently, a packet of black spaghetti caught my eye. Initially I thought it was squid ink pasta. I was wrong! I was about to declare how much I dislike squid ink pasta when I noticed that this black spaghetti was made from black beans. Further intrigued, the packaging pointed out that the product was organic, gluten free, high in protein, high in fibre, suitable for vegetarians and vegans alike.
Let’s Cook
I’m going to admit that I didn’t have much hope for this product. I was expecting my experience of this product to go the same way as when I’ve tried other products. I wanted to experience to be the best it could be so I carefully considered my topping choice for this dish and I chose to make my Pasta Broccoli recipe to keep the dish plant based. The bright green broccoli and fresh red tomato sauce sitting on top of the black spaghetti strands was going to be quite a challenge to the eye, but one I was totally up for!
On first glance the cooking instructions were much shorter than regular pasta made from Durham wheat. This package indicated a cooking time of 4-6 minutes and I prepared my cooking water as I would for any other pasta. A pan filled with boiling water and salted. With my sauce and sautéed broccoli standing by, in went the spaghetti.
After a minute the spaghetti started to change colour. No longer a vibrant black, it changed to more of a charcoal colour. I have to admit this wasn’t as appealing. No-one likes grey food (I really don’t understand this trend for charcoal laced food, perhaps I will some day). I kept a close eye on the spaghetti and ultimately I drained it after only 4 minutes so it still had an al dente texture to it.
Normally I would coat the spaghetti in the sauce and top it with the broccoli, but I decided to keep it simple. Spaghetti in bowl, top generously with sauce and top with broccoli. If you’re feeling adventurous you could add some dried chilli flakes to the broccoli to add a little heat, but I decided not to.
Going in with an open mind as well as an open mouth, I really enjoyed the spaghetti. Having the sauce topping meant that I could taste the spaghetti strands on their own and they has a really nice texture with a little bite. The strands aren’t smooth like ‘regular’ spaghetti so they clung on to the sauce and broccoli topping really well.
The Cost
The pack was £1.99 for a 200g which is more expensive than I would normally pay for regular spaghetti, but if you’re looking for an alternative then I’d happily recommend this.
My Verdict
Taste : 3.8 out of 5
Value for money : 3.75 out of 5
Likelihood of buying it again : 4 out of 5
Where To Buy It
You can find this black bean spaghetti in most Aldi stores. for just £1.99
Review Update – 19th June 2020
The packaging for the product has been updated, but I can confirm that the product itself hasn’t changed.
Information correct at time of publishing.
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Do you know why the nutritional values have changed?
The older packaging is showing the nutritional values of the uncooked product and the updated packaging is showing the nutritional values of the cooked product. I don’t know why they’ve made the change, but it is confusing as no-one weighs food after it’s been cooked!