Is Homemade Pasta Healthier Than Shop-Bought?

Everyone knows that homemade food is almost always healthier than the shop-bought alternative, so it's a perfectly reasonable assumption that homemade pasta must be healthier than its supermarket rival. That can certainly be true, but there are a surprising number of exceptions to the rule.

Without wanting to be overly simplistic (after all, you can find pasta made with everything from beetroot puree to saffron to squid ink), there are two main kinds: one made with flour and water, the other with flour and eggs. Here, we're looking at each of these three key ingredients to identify any factors that could affect whether a homemade version is healthier for you than the store-bought alternative. Let's start with the flour.

Some flours are better for you than others

Durum wheat semolina is the flour used to make most supermarket pasta. It is used extensively in the pasta industry due to its high gluten and protein content, coarse texture, shelf stability, and resistance to overcooking.

There are, however, various types of semolina, some of which are healthier for you than others. Whole wheat semolina is the healthiest of the lot because it contains the bran and germ that are removed from more refined flours. It is high in fibre, vitamins, and minerals and has a low glycemic index score so that it won't spike your blood sugar levels like other flours. It is particularly healthy for those with diabetes or managing their weight. The pasta it produces, though, is an unappealing sludge-brown colour that looks incredibly healthy but produces a pasta that is completely void of joy. Holland and Barrett in food form, if you will.

Refined semolina is the flour of choice for almost all supermarket pasta. It's not as healthy as whole wheat semolina because it has less fibre and fewer nutrients, but it's still a good source of protein. Supermarket shoppers will struggle to find pasta made from refined or organic semolina, although health-conscious home cooks might like to source this type of flour online if they want to produce a pasta that is better for them than the standard shop-bought options.

There are numerous other types of flour that may be better for you, depending on your health goals. People watching their carbohydrate intake or blood sugar levels may opt for almond flour, while those living with coeliac disease may opt for buckwheat flour. Athletes favour quinoa flour thanks to its use in aiding muscle repair and energy production while chickpea flour is the go-to flour for those avoiding gluten.

Not all eggs are created equal

It's important for us to define "healthy" when talking about the pasta's egg content because it can mean different things to different people. For example, pasta made with generous quantities of egg yolks can be significantly higher in fat and calories, but at the same time, it will contain significantly more nutrients than pasta made with more egg whites. Here, we focus on healthiness from a nutritional perspective, not your waistline.

Caged vs. free-range

It's an unfortunate fact that eggs from caged hens have a virtually identical nutritional profile and taste as eggs from free-range or organic hens. Shoppers may be tempted by the health claims made on boxes of pricey eggs, but all eggs are rich in omega 3, vitamin D and protein whether it is stated on the packaging or not.

This means buying top-dollar eggs laid by Riverford Organic hens won't make your homemade pasta any healthier than pasta made using eggs from hens who experience a miserable existence in cramped cages. Good sleep is crucial for good health, so if you can sleep easily knowing your eggs come from hens that live a relatively natural life then we think that's a win for free-range.

Pasteurised vs. unpasteurised

Large-scale producers make their pasta using pasteurised eggs to ensure safety, consistency, and extended shelf life. The process does, however, strip some of the egg's nutrients, making a non-pasteurised, homemade alternative a tiny bit healthier.

Whites vs. yolks

Making pasta at home affords you free rein over the quality of eggs and the amount of egg white and egg yolk you use. Yolks account for 75% of the calories in an egg and are one of the world's truly genuine superfoods. They contain plenty of heart-healthy fats, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants... the list goes on.

Egg whites may not punch as high as yolks in the nutrition stakes, but they are considered extremely healthy in their own right, albeit in different ways. They are fat and cholesterol-free, low in carbohydrates and calories while still offering good levels of protein, vitamins and minerals.

Weight-conscious cooks can choose to use just the egg whites to produce virtually fat-free pasta. On the flip side, those looking for a bit of decadence can use just the yolks, increasing their pasta's nutritional and calorie content in the process. Both can be considered healthier, depending on which way you look at it.

Introducing liquid egg

If you've ever watched Inside The Factory, you will be familiar with some of the tricks that large-scale food producers use to keep their ingredient and production costs down. While home cooks will be used to making pasta from fresh, whole eggs, many big producers buy liquid egg whites and liquid egg yolks separately, which are then combined before each production run. This ensures consistency from batch to batch, as whole eggs will always vary slightly in the ratio of yolk-to-white.

Liquid egg is pasteurised, which we already know strips it of some nutrients, and more often than not, it will contain preservatives to extend its shelf life or colour enhancers to make it look more appealing. One brand we looked at contained monoglyceride, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, potassium sorbate and citric acid. All of these are deemed safe by food authorities, but as a general rule, we avoid food containing ingredients our grandmothers wouldn't recognise as "food".

One other factor to bear in mind is the cost difference, Liquid yolk costs twice as much as liquid white, and that means you'll often find producers using a higher proportion of whites, meaning fewer nutrients and calories. The pasta will still be incredibly healthy, just not as healthy as it could be.

Introducing powdered egg

In the same way that the Bury Black Pudding Company uses dehydrated, powdered blood to make its puddings, many pasta producers use powdered eggs, which can provide manufacturers with even more consistency than liquid eggs. The powdered product is also more cost-effective, has an extended shelf-life, simplifies the amount of processing needed, and is altogether more convenient for storage and transportation. Proponents of powdered eggs also claim they improve flavour and structure, which is especially important for companies producing gluten-free pasta.

Water is just water, right?

The Italian pasta industry has strict guidelines to ensure companies don't make trumped-up health claims. However, this doesn't prevent companies from bigging up the health credentials of the water they use. Italian pasta company Zaccagni, for instance, is proud to advertise its use of "pure spring water from the Majella Mountains of Abruzzo". Such emotive language clearly implies that the purity and source of the water they use play a significant role in their pasta's quality, taste and healthiness.

Could this cool sounding "mountain water" that boasts perfect levels of minerals, electrolytes and acidity really be healthier for you than what comes out of your tap? Evidence would suggest that it is, especially in parts of the world where water treatment methods and pipe infrastructure leave much to be desired. So, in an unexpected quirk of fate, unless you are making homemade pasta using specially sourced mountain water, premium shop-bought pasta made with superior water could produce healthier pasta than your homemade attempts.

Key takeaways

You should not automatically assume that homemade pasta is healthier than the shop-bought alternative because there are some instances where the opposite is true. Ultimately it all boils down to your health goals, which is why making pasta at home gives you the ability to produce a pasta that is perfectly suited to you.