Nearly every major pasta brand is releasing new, protein-packed options this year. Barilla’s Protein+ has been center stage with new shapes, from stars to hearts. But while this series boasts 17 grams per serving, there’s another brand quietly—and rapidly—expanding its portfolio, and it packs 21 grams per serving. And it’s not from added protein. It’s from one of the world’s oldest snacks.
Brami, a pasta brand built on lupini beans, is barely a decade old, but it’s quickly earned a reputation among shoppers for quality Italian-made pasta. It’s beloved by our editors—and a staple we stock up on at Costco.
Brami combines centuries of Italian heritage with modern food innovation, and its latest release is its best yet. Brami is bringing a first-of-its-kind pasta shape to the U.S. in the most protein-packed way possible.
Brami Releases New Cubetti Pasta
Fresh off the bronze extruder from Molise, Italy, Brami’s all-new Cubetti pasta is making its U.S. debut. Never heard of it? That’s because it was only recently invented in Italy. But now, Brami is bringing this novel shape to U.S. pasta aisles—and it’s about to upstage all the rest.
Credit: Allrecipes / Brami
Cubetti is a delightful little square-shaped pasta. It’s really a riff on penne with ridges on the exterior. But it’s cut in super-small, whimsical pieces that look like beads on a friendship bracelet. Basically, these are square adult SpaghettiOs—and I’m hooked.
I’ve had some really bad, bland alternative pastas that, honestly, taste and feel like glue. But unlike other plant-based pasta brands that rely on pea protein—or gluten-free brands that lean into tapioca starch—Brami tastes like authentic Italian pasta. And that’s because it is. The company uses a proprietary blend of semolina durum wheat (the gold standard for pasta) and lupini beans. That’s it. That’s the ingredients list.
Brami’s Cubetti pasta is rolling out to Whole Foods stores in the U.S. now, where it will be sold exclusively. The new 12-ounce boxes feature about six servings, with 21 grams of protein and nine grams of fiber each.
Now, Whole Foods ain’t cheap (although, we have found some great deals there), but Brami’s pasta is priced at less than $4. And while that will never compete with a 99-cent box of spaghetti, it is less than 75 cents per serving. And as someone who doesn’t eat meat, it’s one of the cheapest ways for me to get more than 20 grams of protein per meal. So, the next time you visit Whole Foods for a Family Meal deal or that famous berry cake, don’t sleep on the pasta aisle.
I was lucky enough to attend a recent Brami event, where I was one of the very first Americans to try this new pasta innovation. Here’s my honest review.
My Honest Review of Brami’s Cubetti Pasta
I now measure my life in two eras: B.C. (Before Cubetti) and A.C. (After Cubetti). It’s really that good. I was actually hesitant about attending this press event, as hearty Italian pasta often means meat sauces, and I’m pescatarian. Typically, at events like this, the veggie option is boring, bland, and bleak.
That’s not the case with Brami’s Cubetti. Not only did I enjoy one of the best vegetarian pasta dishes in my entire life (big round of applause for chef Brett Bankson of Seattle’s Café Lolo), but this product proves that when the pasta is good, it doesn’t need to be slathered and buried in meat sauce to create something hearty and filling.
Credit: Deanne Revel/Allrecipes
It truly is the perfect size and shape for summer pasta salads and skillets. The mini pieces allow you to scoop up balanced bites of each ingredient. Pasta salads with those jumbo spirals create unbalanced bites with pasta that hogs fork real estate. And, like my favorite teeny, tiny ditalini pasta, Brami’s Cubetti is easily coated in sauces and cheeses—so no more big, gloopy bites of XL penne. (I love penne, but it does not belong in a pasta salad.)
But what makes Brami’s Cubetti even better than a ditalini is the square vs. circle shape. The cubes have little corners that enhance the textural bliss that is already perfectly cooked al dente pasta. So, if you’re making a big batch of pasta salad ahead of a potluck, these extra snappy corners are a sure-proof way to ensure your pasta salad won’t be soggy when you finally serve it.
And not that I want to think about fall right now—I hold onto summer as long as I can—but I’m already excited about swapping this new shape for all my make-ahead freezer soups. Cubetti is now my pantry MVP. And once you try it, you’ll understand why this tiny, textured marvel is my new forever favorite.
Read the original article on Allrecipes
Dining and Cooking