Rarely does a product live up to your expectations when it seems too good to be true. On my last trip to Costco I noticed on the shelf a glossy black box of green pasta and I naturally needed to examine this new item. Reading the information on the box, it really did look “too good to be true” but it certainly had all the makings of a great food to test out. By the way, I have spotted many new, organic and interesting products at Costco. You can be sure I’ll be examining all for vegan possibilities!
“Organic Edamame Spaghetti” by Explore Asian comes in a large 2 pound box, but what doesn’t at Costco? Two separate bags inside for two separate meals. To my delight it is:
- USDA Organic
- Gluten-Free
- Vegan
- Non-GMO
- Kosher
- Parve
- Certified by the American Heart Asociation.
Ok so we are definitely on the right track, so far.
What are these noodles made of exactly? Two ingredients! Organic green edamame and water. Seems awesome. The nutritional elements are as simple as the ingredients but powerful. A 2 ounce serving packs 24 grams of protein, 11 grams of fiber, 55% of Vitamin C, 30% of Iron and 13% of Calcium. That’s a wow in my book (The Book of Vegan!).
So how does it cook up and taste? It basically cooks like any other spaghetti but in only 4-5 minutes. Rinse under cold water and that’s it. Couldn’t be easier. But the taste?
The taste was great! I don’t think it tasted like wheat pasta but it didn’t taste like edamame either. The spaghetti was just the right consistency and it was thin, almost like angel hair. It doesn’t expand at all when it’s cooked so what you see in the box is what you get. The lack of strong flavor is fine because it doesn’t interfere with what you’re planning to put on it.
Since I have a wonderful basil plant taking over my kitchen windowsill, I decided to stick with the green theme and pair the pasta with my homemade vegan pesto sauce. They went together fabulously and it was a very simple, yet filling and protein-packed meal!
EASY VEGAN PESTO SAUCE: It Goes On Everything!
–Ellen Francis
Ingredients
- 4 cups torn fresh basil leaves (no stems)
- 4 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 cup pine nuts
- 1 cup shelled walnuts (halves or pieces)
- juice of a half lemon
- 6 Tablespoons nutritional yeast (“nooch”)
- 5 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Method
- 1) Place basil, garlic, nuts, lemon juice and nutritional yeast in a food processor.
- 2) Run the food processor for about a minute and then start pouring the olive oil in through the opening
- 3) Process until the mixture is pureed and smooth, about 3 minutes.
- 4) Add salt and pepper to taste
- 5) Add to pasta and serve.
- 6) Store covered in the refrigerator for a few days.
Note: Sometimes if I have a variety of nuts and not necessarily just pine nuts or walnuts, I’ll just use whatever I have. Also, the nuts can be softened first by putting them in a microwave-safe bowl and covered with water and then heated up in the microwave for 30 seconds or so.
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xox Enjoy!
Ellen Francis
My kids will love this! Edamame is one of their fave foods, as is pasta, so I think this is a win/win! Also, thanks for the vegan pesto recipe – I had no idea that pesto wasn’t vegan until about a month ago (we used to make it with pine nuts, garlic and basil when I was a kid, and I had no idea that most people put parmesan in it). Anyway, I look forward to trying your recipe!
How long should this pasta be cooked in a pressure cooker/Instany Pot? Using tomato sauce too. Thanks!
We have never cooked this in a pressure cooker but we know they are very popular so maybe we should try! Do you have an instant Pot and what do you think of it?
I’m so glad you reviewed this! I saw it at Costco, too and wondered how it would taste. I’m going to grab some next time I’m there!
We always try to be on the lookout for new vegan products. Costco is surprisingly good!
This was my favorite spaghetti at Costco and I went to buy more last week and they said they had discontinued it. I WAS SO UPSET!!!! Do you know if Costco plans on bringing this back?
Every Costco carries different items and it’s difficult to track which has what products. I would check in another store or on Amazon. Perhaps, you’ll see something else similar or you’ll get lucky!
I bought this at Costco and LOVE IT, but as usual, it is no longer available there. Where can I get it?
I would try Whole Foods or any other supermarket near you that stocks plant-based pastas.
Hi Ellen….Love your website. I would go Vegan in a minute, but I can’t eat NUTS! What can I do when substituting nuts in a recipe??? Thank you…the other Ellen (Jamison)
Thanks you so much for reading!! Every recipe is different–and a lot of them do use nuts! Are you also allergic to seeds?Sometimes sesame seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds and chia seeds can be used, aw well. In certain recipes that are trying to mimic the meatiness, people use mushrooms or beans. It all depends on the type of recipe. You’re not the only one who can’t eat nuts–it’s a major allergy or sensitivity–but there are ways around it!