When Charles Galletta discovered he had type II diabetes in 1997, he was devastated.
It meant, his doctor told him, giving up all the foods he loved. His form of the disease wasn't severe -- he didn't need insulin shots -- it could be controlled with oral medication and diet. But that diet! No pasta, no bread.
To Galletta, a native of Sicily who spent more than 40 years as a chef and restaurateur, that was heartbreaking.
"Bread and pasta are our culture," he said. "They are what we live for. To take pasta away is a tragedy."
The Elmwood Park resident opened his first pizzeria, Gigio's, at Wilson Avenue and Broadway in Chicago in 1964. In 1972, Galletta opened Renaldi's Pizza Pub on Broadway in the neighborhood then called New Town. "Everybody wanted to be in New Town in those days," Galletta said.
The pizzeria was still thriving last April when Galletta sold the business to take on a new challenge -- formulating a pasta diabetics can eat. The result was Molinari Mills Carbolina Low Calorie Pasta with StarchLite.
Galletta had been experimenting with a food supplement in efforts to control his diabetes while still eating the high-carbohydrate dishes he loved.
"My wife is Neapolitan and they're damn good cooks," he said. "I told her I didn't want to change our Sunday and holiday dinners."
Galletta's salvation came in the form of phaseolamin, a natural extract made from white beans and marketed as Phase 2 or StarchLite. It supposedly blocks alpha-amylase, the enzyme responsible for digesting starch, and inhibits absorption of carbohydrates.
"I took the ingredient along with a regular portion of pasta, and then monitored my blood glucose levels every 15 minutes," Galletta said. "My blood glucose would rise, but then return to normal much faster than when I didn't take it.
"It gave me my life back again."
Medical studies on Phase 2 have been limited, but it's been shown to be safe. There haven't been any large-scale human trials of its effectiveness and existing studies have yielded mixed results. Dr. Harry Preuss, a nutritional researcher at Georgetown University's School of Medicine, has conducted Phase 2 tests with rats and pigs. "It worked beautifully on the insulin system," Preuss said.
Preuss believes the extract works, though he isn't sure how. "Does it prevent the absorption of these calories or does something else happen?" He's convinced enough, though, he said, that he takes the supplement himself.
Galletta said the supplement worked so well for him that he decided to see if it could be incorporated into pasta.
"I discovered that the new recipe tasted great, and my glucose returned to normal just as it had when I took the extract separately," he said. "With the regular pasta, my blood glucose would go up and stay there until I took my medication."
Yeah, but how does it taste?
Two ounces of Charles Galletta's Molinari Mills Carbolina Low-Calorie Pasta with StarchLite contain about the same number of calories (210) and carbohydrates (41 grams) as other dried semolina pastas. The manufacturer claims, however, that only 5 grams of carbohydrates are actually digested. We couldn't measure the effectiveness of its starch-blocking ingredient, but we did taste test a sample of the Carbolina Penne Rigate provided by the company.
In appearance and taste, the cooked pasta compared well to major brands of ordinary pasta, with a good toothiness and flavor.
One taster detected a slight difference in taste between uncooked Carbolina and uncooked regular pasta, but the difference disappeared when the pasta was cooked.
We tasted it both plain and in the recipe provided here by Galletta, and in neither case could we have picked it out as any different from ordinary pasta.
The tasters experienced no ill effects.
Several studies have shown that the starch-blocking ingredient in Carbolina, phaseolamin, is nontoxic. Limited studies suggest that it does lessen the impact of carbohydrates on blood-sugar levels.
So the bottom line is that it doesn't taste weird, it probably can't hurt you and it may work.
Carbolina, currently available only as penne rigate, is sold locally at Caputo's Fresh Markets, Tony's Finer Foods and Butera stores. It retails for $2.25 to $2.75 per 10-ounce package.
-- Leah A. Zeldes
The DFC is determined to discover a low carb pasta with heart. Too often, when the carbohydrate content of pasta is reduced, the heart of the noodle and the flavor are lost. The DFC is uniquely tasked to find low carb pasta with its’ heart in tact and great taste its’ mainstay. Carbolina pasta with Starchlite, by Molinari Mills, was discovered by the DFC and Carbolina Penne Regate Pasta underwent formal DFC review. We are excited to share our findings.
Carbolina differentiates itself from other low carb pastas because of the trademarked ingredient used called Starchlite. Per their label, Starchlite is a white bean extract that delays the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates and reduces the Glycemic Index of starchy foods. Carbolina boasts that their pasta is metabolized slower than regular pasta which prevents a dangerous rise in blood sugar immediately after eating.
The DFC prepared a box of Carbolina Penne Regate Pasta and it stood up against weighty scrutiny. By general consensus this was good pasta. It was lighter than regular pasta, but it retained characteristic texture and flavor. The heart of Carbolina Penne was in-tact and their healthful claims were encouraging. Well done, Carbolina.
The nutritional information was clearly marked on the side panel. A serving size of 2 oz of Carbolina pasta had 210 calories and 1g of fat. There were 41g of total carbohydrates, broken down into 2g of dietary fiber and 2g of sugar. Carbolina offers these “Digestible Facts” for consumers: Out of the 41g of carbohydrates per serving, only 5g of carbs are “Digestible” and the remaining 36 carbs are “Controlled Carbs”. Carbolina is suggesting that only 5 of the 41 total carbs will impact blood sugar immediately.
The consumer information was clearly labeled on the side panel of the box. Carbolina listed a snail mail address, website address and a 1-800 number for consumers. The instructions suggested a cooking time of 10-12 minutes, but the DFC and resident pasta expert John Hughes found six to eight minutes to be perfect for al dente Penne. Carbolina did omit an expiration date which slightly detracted from their otherwise top notch consumer information.
Overall, I give Carbolina Penne Regate Pasta a 150 DFC. This is one of the best tasting low carb pastas out there. The DFC thoroughly enjoyed the texture and taste of the cooked Penne and Starchlite has made a great first impression. Carbolina was missing an expiration date which we must note, but that is a minor adjustment to undertake. Carbolina pasta and Molinari Mills are on the DFC’s radar and we offer them lively kudos for a developing a low carb pasta with heart. Questions or suggestions? Email sean@diabeticfoodcritic.com
