Calling All Diabetics, Celiacs, And Carb Watchers: This Pasta Is The Truth

Can't stop/won't stop talking about Banza.

Is there anything more comforting than a heaping plate of pasta on a cold winter's night? I submit there is not.

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Pasta is a source of great joy to me, but as a type 1 diabetic, I've found it's also historically been a source of high blood sugars and all the unpleasantness and long-term health risks that accompany them.

I had pretty much sent pasta to the "special occasions" corner of my eating life when I got my hands on a box of Banza, chickpea-based pasta that has about half the net carbs of regular pasta. It's also gluten free!

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I got a free box of Banza spaghetti at a health fair at work, then promptly forgot about it for six weeks, until one fateful night when I made the brave decision not to go to the grocery store and instead to Chopped-challenge my way to dinner.

My expectations were low; I've had diabetes for more than half my life, so I've tasted my fair share of lower-carb versions of delicious foods. They tend to taste like the uncanny valley equivalent of whatever they're imitating — just close enough to be actually quite repulsive.

But I can admit when I'm wrong. And after one bite of cacio e pepe with Banza spaghetti, I was ready to tell the world: Banza is fucking delicious.

The only differences I noticed between Banza and ordinary pasta were a hint of chickpeas (though just in the undressed pasta), and a slight brittleness when I refrigerated and reheated it (which only made it easier to house the leftovers).

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I immediately ordered a variety pack and set about telling everyone I knew about it.

I wish I were exaggerating. I sounded like a woman in a birth control commercial who's always ~casually~ mentioning to her friends while they drink smoothies in a weirdly lit lounge area that her birth control, Fallopulina, is amaaaaaaaaazing. I wouldn't shut up about it, and I'm not sorry. Talking about Banza is a public service!

It bears repeating: Banza is vegan and gluten free, and it has roughly twice the protein, three times the fiber, and half the net carbs of regular pasta.

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It also has a low glycemic index (meaning it causes causes blood glucose to rise less, and more slowly). Sure enough, Banza didn't make my blood sugar spike, which meant I felt free to eat it all the time.

And here's a thing I had forgotten about pasta: It is the base of a lot of super-easy and delicious recipes!

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Since my great Banza revelation, I've made penne with souped-up red sauce (jarred tomato basil sauce, sweet Italian sausage, onion, and a splash of red wine), baked macaroni with fontina and broccoli rabe, and fusilli with mushrooms and prosciutto (okay, my boyfriend made those last two, and they were both exceptional).

I've been trying to cook more at home (said every millennial urbanite ever), and Banza has made it way easier to throw together a meal.

So whether you're diabetic, gluten free, or just an unafflicted pasta lover who's trying to cut back on carbs: You're welcome.

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Get a pack of six boxes from Amazon for $17.70+ or a single box from Jet for $4.06+.

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