I was recently introduced to Mara’s Pasta, which is a unique type of whole-wheat pasta developed by a dad after he could not get his daughter (Mara) to accept the flavor and texture of standard whole-wheat pasta. Concerned about the lack of nutrition in the white flour pasta she was regularly consuming he decided to make his very own milder version of whole-wheat pasta that was both nutritious and delicious (what a nice dad!). Most pasta products are made from Durum wheat, which has a distinct taste and texture that most of us are familiar with, but Mara’s Pasta is made from its very own unique variety of (non-GMO) wheat called MaragrainTM.
Mara’s Pasta recently asked if I could develop some recipes using their products, which I am excited to share with you below. But don’t stop there because Mara’s also has an entire page on their website dedicated to recipes including some that will help you utilize all your fresh summer produce including “Mara’s Fettuccine with corn, squash, peppers, tomatoes, and cilantro” and “Mara’s Whole Wheat Fettuccine with Tomato Basil Sauce.” Also, if you’d like to get 15% off your Mara’s Pasta order use coupon code “100DAYS” (now through August 5th) and then “update” your shopping cart before checking out on their website. A big thank you Mara’s for sponsoring today’s post!
Mara’s Peanut-Thai Pasta
The ingredients in this pasta sauce may sound unusual at first, but the end product is an exotic and delicious combination. My girls loved this recipe so much that they even accidentally ate a few cucumbers along the way. I will definitely be making this again…possibly even for their school lunch boxes soon where I think I’ll dice the cucumbers even smaller so they are harder to pick out. 
- 8 oz Mara’s Spaghetti Noodles (1/2 box)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- ½ cucumber
- Optional: Crushed red pepper, to taste
- Cook noodles according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, garlic, and basil until combined into a smooth mixture.
- Once the pasta is ready, drain and combine with the soy sauce mixture until pasta is evenly coated with sauce. Dice half of a cucumber and toss together with pasta. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Mara’s Feta Pasta Salad
Thanks to inspiration from The Food Babe, I’ve learned that just like mozzarella cheese the type of feta cheese you buy matters. In both cases go with the versions sold floating in water and you will not be disappointed! Since this recent discovery I’ve been eating feta on just about everything and this pasta dish is no exception.
- 6 oz Mara’s Farfalle Pasta (1/2 box)
- 1 cup feta, crumbled
- 1 tomato
- 2 avocados
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon yellow mustard
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Dice the tomato and mix with the feta in a large bowl, set aside.
- In a small bowl make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, onion powder, and salt.
- Once pasta is done drain and rinse with cool water. After the pasta cools for a few minutes add it to the large bowl with the tomato and feta.
- Dice the avocados and add to the bowl with the pasta as well. Pour the dressing over top and toss to combine. Garnish with extra feta if desired and serve at room temperature or chilled. Avocados may brown if stored overnight.
This reminds me of my favorite noodle salads that I make using more of a method than a recipe, easy to customize for what you like/have on hand, and a great way to make a one dish meal using leftovers. I basically just combine one or more choices from each of five categories- noodles (spaghetti, soba, or rice), protein (cooked chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp, tofu), crunchy veggies (cucumber, bell pepper, grated carrots, bean sprouts, snow peas, shredded cabbage), dressing (sesame oil, rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, peanut butter, hot sauce, in any combination) and yummy extras (my favorite is a combination of scallions, cilantro, and chopped peanuts, could also use basil, sesame seeds, crushed red pepper, cashews) Creative, frugal, convenient, and yummy!
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