Gluten free, High protein, Vegan
Flavor Name: Rotini
Size: 8 Ounce (Pack of 6)
Lower in carbs and higher in protein, a 3 1/2 oz serving can rival 4 oz of cooked lean beef for protein and even surpass it a little. Easy to cook up, do not overcook and do not let it sit without draining though. It tastes a little beany plain. Add spices, sauces, etc, and you can't taste that. Trus
t me, this is a great thing if you are celiac, (no gluten), vegan (and need protein in your diet) or both. A great way to add protein without noticing it. Product has a good mouth feel and made properly, you can't tell it from durum semolina pasta. It is slightly less yellowish than wheat pasta but not noticeable in general. It is also lower in carbs for a given serving versus wheat pasta (43 to 71 grams I think) which can help if you are trying to cut carbs and are counting them. Price can fluctuate at times which I hate (it can nearly double in price at times) depending on who's supplying it. Overall, I do depend on this product to help add protein to my diet. In a way you really can't notice. And in the world of 'replacement foods' I've met over the last several years this one really does deliver. Boxes are 8 ounces so you get just over two servings for the protein that beats lean ground beef... whole box is 52 g protein. Additions: if you are used to durum semolina (wheat pasta) this is NOT going to taste or chew like wheat pasta. Period. It will take a bit of experimentation to get it to come out well. Tricks I have learned after about 12 CASES of shells (the most glue/cardboard of all the shape): Put in water at just boiling. If a few pasta dumped in cases minor boilup, then chills, you're adding them at the right time. I add before vigorous boil and have learned with the same 2.5 quart stainless steel pot on a gas stove burner, how long it takes that amount of water to get to 'low boil' and actually set a timer. Scum abatement: these will form a 'scum' that can resemble beaten eggwhites. These will resemble merengue.. I dump my box of pasta shells, stir once, set timer (midrange of how long to cook, then spend 1-2 minutes scooping scum off. Stir once more and I lower heat slightly and get ready to drain and sauce/spice. I tend to put timer at mid time of the, tastetest then adjust time. For me I know the exact time using that pot, that much water and those setting of burner. Then I skim the stuff one more time quickly, 10-15 seconds, then turn heat off and drain. Drain fast. If you are going to use it later, dump in baggie, burp air and refrigerate. Heat your sauce to piping hot at serving time, add the pasta from baggie, and it will reconstitute well. Else add your sauce or other at the time you finish draining and serve immediately. If you are still using durum semolina pasta as a part of your diet, this will fall short. If it's your only pasta (as in celiac diet) it will be excellent. Just remember it is NOT durum semolina, and you will be fine. (durum for wheat means a certain high protein level which can be 'worked' for such heavily worked items as bread and pasta, to develop the proteins into tender light and somewhat chewy items such as bread and "normal" pasta. One that translates better to the Semolina palate is the Rotini. It cooks fairly well except the very core of the spiral. For the shell, this is about the worst to get to taste well. The shells have come up lately as the cheapest of the Banza chickpea pastas, and I eat these for protein addition to diet. I admit I buy 'cheapest today'. Any of the Banza Chickpea pastas are great for adding protein to a diet. Please, take notes and don't be scared to change things to make the pasta come out better. One major issue is drain immediately. The other is flavoring it to be acceptable. Stick to a heavy fat, chunky sauce that is already at serving temperature and add these last and servie immediately. This sort of pasta will absorb water like nobody's business and turn soggy in nothing flat. It's best served hot and fresh.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2017 by BitTwiddler
Good substitute for wheat products
Flavor Name: Elbows
Size: 8 Ounce (Pack of 6)
I like these mixed with lentil pasta as a way to get away from eating so much wheat, and getting a lower carb pasta. I basically like the flavor, but some that I've gotten has tasted like the box it's in, so it has been good to mix it with the lentil pasta.
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2022 by Susan L. Stone
Better price, but still too pricey
Flavor Name: Rotini
Size: 8 Ounce (Pack of 6)
Item arrived quickly and in excellent condition. This is our preferred chickpea pasta (have to have gluten free). Found the best here, but only when on sale. Too expensive for frequent purchase, even though Amazon offers the best price. Will purchase again, but infrequently, due to the cost.
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2022 by A
Great shapes and taste
Flavor Name: Gemelli
Size: 8 Ounce (Pack of 6)
Is gluten free and delicious with pesto
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2022 by Jamilah Ali Alexander
Great alternative
Flavor Name: Elbows
Size: 8 Ounce (Pack of 6)
Great alternative to regular pasta.
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2022 by margaret haggard
Great taste & texture
Flavor Name: Spaghetti
Size: 8 Ounce (Pack of 12)
Great taste and texture. Gluten free noodles that taste like regular spaghetti. Chickpeas are much healthier than refined flour.
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2022 by Coach
Flavor is neutral enough for many different cuisines
Flavor Name: Shells
Size: 8 Ounce (Pack of 6)
I usually leave reviews only after I’ve used the product long enough to be sure that I really like it. I just made my first batch of the Banza pasta on a sick day, so I thought what the heck. My gluten free journey is about life and death, more less - I’m allergic/sensitive to a lot of things. And to
those of you who say, this isn’t like real pasta -I get it. However, when you have a lot a stake like I do (eg, continue eating gluten would cost you the next big job promotion, or whatever other major life goals maybe), you just DO IT. I still want to continue enjoying food, and banza seems like one of those things that’ll help with the compromise-eating decent tasting food yet maximize my job/life performance. I’ve experimented with TONS of GF pasta and this is one of the better ones. Bottom line: Similar to tofu, the flavor is neutral enough to pick up whatever flavor pleases your palette - whether it’s Asian (sesame oil and soy sauce), Italian (marinara), or whatever else it may be. Good enough for me for now! If I grow to love the product more over time, I might up my rating from 4 stars to 5!
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Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2020 by AmazonCustomer
Looking for variety
Flavor Name: Shells
Size: 8 Ounce (Pack of 6)
This is a great addition to my store of lentil pastas, and a nice textural variation. I'll be comparing the two types of which I have experience here (this chickpea vs. other lentil pastas). Pros These held up well under heavier meat sauce (first tried with bolognese). The texture isn't as soft as le
ntil pastas, so it "feels" more like traditional grain-based pasta. Nice option for a different style (vs. lentil -- there seems to only be Penne, Elbow, or (if lucky) Rotini available) Cons Not a con per-se, but the suggested cooking time (9-11 mins) is accurate -- they came out Al dente at about 9.5, and fairly perfect at 10 minutes. Compared to (most) lentil pastas, the suggested cooking time is too long, and the pasta often goes straight from crunchy to mushy. Comes in cardboard box. If you open and don't use all of it (or don't eat pasta very often), you'll need to transfer it to another storage container so it doesn't get stale. However, this is typical for most pasta packaging. The texture is a tiny, tiny bit "grainy" (compared to lentil). Not noticeable to anyone else in the family come dinner that night, however. Lentil pastas don't tend to hold up well for leftovers / reheating the next day. There weren't any leftovers with these for round one, but I plan to try this out in the near future. Also looking forward to home made mac-n-cheese with these little shells!
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Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2018 by A. Clemens