GIFTED
About Explore Cuisine
We are on a Plant Powered Mission.
Explore Cuisine is easy-to-make pasta that is good and good for you. Made with high-protein, high-fiber, and gluten-free ingredients, so healthy swaps are easy and delicious
The Products
The guys at Explore Cuisine sent me a big box of their products
What I got :
- Organic Edamame Spaghetti
- Organic Green Lentil Penne
- Organic Fava Bean Fusilli
- Organic Edamame & Mung Bean Fettucine
- Organic Chickpea Fusilli Organic Chickpea Fusilli
- Organic Black Bean Spaghetti
I love going to an Italian restaurant and getting good pasta or even at home cooking pasta for my dinner so this really interested me…more so to how it would taste.
Looking at the photos on the front of each packet, you wouldn’t be able to visually differentiate from normal pasta to this.
I was looking forward to this.
Organic Fava Bean Fusilli
Fava Beans, also known as Broad Beans, are one of the oldest domesticated food legumes dating back to the 4th century. Mild and creamy in flavour, these beans are high in protein and fibre. This is Explore Cuisine’s closest legume-based pasta to traditional wheat pasta in taste, texture and colour.
I had no idea what one to start with but this was the one I was looking at when I opened the delivery box so I thought let’s go for this one.
I took it out of its packet and it just looked like normal pasta, even the texture of them was very similar…now this was going to be an interesting meal.
I followed the instructions on the packet, very similar to pasta 10-15 mins in boiling water…super easy and fast.
This box could easily make pasta for 3 people or two large portions for two people.
Now what do I add to the pasta? I knew I had some cherry tomatoes and some pesto and cheese so a very simple dish.
I put it all together and sat down with a wee glass of wine.
I am going to be honest if you gave me this in a restaurant I really wouldn’t have been able to tell it was made from fava beans. The texture and consistency were spot on, flavour-wise (pre pesto) was very nice and mixed with my ingredients tonight…very yummy!
I look forward to trying the other items.
| Flavour | ★★★★★ |
| Appearance | ★★★★★ |
| Serving Size | ★★★★★ |
| MY RATING: | ★★★★★ |
Organic Green Lentil Penne
Firm and flavourful, our Green Lentil Penne has a delightful taste and tender texture. Easily prepared, it provides exceptional savour and colour to any meal.
I have recently purchased a new house, so I am ripping it apart and decorating so when I get home I wanted something quick and easy to make and these arrived at the perfect time.
Yup, this was a basic recipe, cook the pasta, add the sauce and add the grated cheese….quick easy and tasty.
The big question was how was this pasta, and did it taste nice?
Firstly let’s start with how long this took to make, just like the other pasta it only took 7-9 minutes to make which is great when you want a quick meal.
This again just looked exactly like penne and had a similar texture…to be honest, once this was made, mixed with the sauce etc I couldn’t tell it was made from green lentils.
This also tasted very good and filled the spot after my decorating.
| Flavour | ★★★★★ |
| Appearance | ★★★★★ |
| Serving Size | ★★★★★ |
| MY RATING: | ★★★★★ |
Organic Chickpea Fusilli
With an appetizing Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flair, Explore Cuisine’s Chickpea Fusilli is a healthly choice that will please the family and simplify your life. Extremely easy to prepare, it can be served with any pasta sauce or toppings of your choice.
The organic chickpea fusilli is a delightful and nutritious option for those seeking a high-protein pasta alternative. With a quick cooking time of just six to nine minutes, it’s incredibly convenient for busy individuals looking to whip up a tasty meal in no time.
I opted for a carbonara sauce and sprinkled some parmesan to create a quick and flavoursome dish.
The texture of the chickpea fusilli was pleasantly reminiscent of traditional pasta, making it an excellent choice for those transitioning to healthier options without sacrificing taste or familiarity. Moreover, the added bonus of higher protein content from chickpea flour is a great way to make a more nutritious meal.
Overall, I highly recommend trying out this pasta as it offers the best of both worlds – a quick and easy preparation with a satisfying taste and added nutritional benefits.
| Flavour | ★★★★★ |
| Appearance | ★★★★★ |
| Serving Size | ★★★★★ |
| MY RATING: | ★★★★★ |
Organic Edamame Spaghetti
Delicately mild in taste, Explore Cuisine’s Edamame Spaghetti provides a full balance of plant-based protein and fibre. Perfect with a mushroom sauce or tossed in olive oil, it’s sure to please.
Edamie spaghetti pasta proved to be a rather lacklustre experience. The texture was noticeably different from regular pasta, which resulted in the sauce not adhering well to the strands, making it a bit disappointing. The flavour on its own was just passable, nothing extraordinary. However, I decided to salvage the meal by making spaghetti and meatballs, hoping it would enhance the overall taste.
Unfortunately, even with the meatballs and sauce, the pasta’s texture still posed a challenge, and the dish didn’t reach the level of satisfaction I had anticipated. In comparison to other pasta brands I’ve tried, this one fell short. The taste of the pasta itself was the primary culprit, as it failed to complement the sauce and meatballs adequately.
While Edamie spaghetti pasta may not have been outright terrible, it certainly didn’t become a favourite for me compared to the other ones I have so far tried from this brand.
| Flavour | ★★★ |
| MY RATING: | ★★★ |
Final Thoughts…
Firstly thanks to Explore Cusine for sending these over, and for allowing me to try something I probably wouldn’t have tried.
I still have two boxes left to try, and I am looking forward to seeing what they are like.
Overall I have no issues with any of the pasta, as you saw I decided to make quick simple and easy dishes as I wanted to see how it was as basic as possible.
If you are a better chef than me and that wouldn’t take much I am sure you could come up with some amazing dishes with these.
Do check these guys out and I am sure you will enjoy these pastas as much as I did.
| MY OVERALL RATING | ★★★★ |
The above blog post review is 100% honest and has not been influenced in anyway. Its a true representation of my thoughts.
