Seaweed Pasta all’Amatriciana

Today I would like to share a recipe for a unique and nutritious twist on the classic Italian dish, ‘Seaweed Pasta all’Amatriciana.’ This recipe replaces traditional wheat pasta with a low-carb, grain-free and gluten-free alternative made from seaweed. This pasta not only provides a unique taste, but also provides an array of health benefits. So, let’s get started!


Seaweed Pasta Recipe

Avoiding refined carbohydrates and wheat? If so, then you are probably familiar with zucchini noodles as a pasta substitute. Today, I want to introduce to you a new pasta alternative that is even more nutritious, very low in carbohydrates and super sustainable.

Seaweed Pasta, Baby!

sweaweed-pasta-recipe-900

We’re talking about seaweed pasta. You might have sprinkled some dulse on your salad or had some nori sheets in your sushi rolls, but this is a different type of sea vegetable. It’s called himanthalia and it really is an amazing pasta replacement.

I first discovered sea pasta from a guy called Willem. Introduced by a mutual friend when he was visiting London, we went for a coffee and got to chat about food and wellness.

Willem told me his story about trying this sea pasta at a restaurant in Ibiza. He was so impressed with its resemblance to pasta, that he got an idea. What if we could replace half the pasta in the word with seaweed? Sounds crazy, but we’re talking about a sustainable food source that also happens to be super healthy.

Cut long story short, Willem now runs a company that harvests and sells I Sea Pasta – a seaweed vegetable that I reckon is going to become the next big thing in the wellness world.

seaweed-pasta-seamore

Willem gave me a couple of packs to try (by the way, this is not a sponsored post) and after following his instructions and making my own sauce to go with it, I made the dish I am sharing with you today. I had no idea what it would taste like – in fact, I thought it would be quite sea or fishy tasting – but it was surprisingly mild in flavour and, here is the best part, it actually resembles tagliatelle pasta noodles.

It’s a little firmer to bite, but if you like your pasta al dente, then you will really appreciate the texture of seaweed pasta. I really liked it.

 

More About Seaweed Pasta

Himanthalia Elongata, sea thong or sea spaghetti is an algae species that only grows in Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Brittany, the south of England and Norway. It grows on rocks and can reach 2,5 meters in length. Underwater, it looks like a really tall grass. It’s been cultivated and consumed for a very long time, and used to be the food for the poor (at least in Ireland).

European chefs and restaurateurs have been on to it for a while but seaweed pasta is only now starting to reach everyday cooks and kitchens, mainly thanks to people like Willem.

In a nutshell, it comes as dried long seaweed strands that you rehydrate in cold or how water or cook for 15-20 minutes. The strands expand in size and become neutral smelling and tasting, with a slight umami flavour. It literally looks like dark green tagliatelle, almost like squid ink pasta.

You can serve seaweed pasta with flavourful sauces, add to it soups, stews and curries or make raw salads. The soaking or cooking liquid gains a slight umami flavour too and can be reused as a broth for soups and stews.

seaweed-noodles-pasta

Seaweed Pasta Nutrition

Now, I’ve saved the best part for last. Seaweed pasta is super nutritious. Its nutritional qualities compare with the best veggies on land, plus it has a few extras from the sea.

It contains iodine, sodium, antioxidants, proteins, vitamins (B1, B2, C, E) and minerals such a calcium and iron, and essential Omega-3’s. Above all that, Himanthalia Elongata contains lots of fibre, which is vital for good gut health, healthy metabolism and weight loss. It’s low in calories if you’re watching those numbers, yet it’s very satiating.

It’s very low in calories and high in fibre. And the carbs? About 5-7 grams per serving. Pretty impressive if you ask me.

So, where do you get this seaweed pasta? At the moment it’s still not widely available, however people like Willem are working hard to scale the harvesting and production to be able to bring this product to many more countries. I know it’s available to buy on Seamorefood.com and they ship around Europe and the UK (you can also see stockists in Australia and Europe). I am hoping it will soon be available in the rest of the world too because it really is an amazing food.

How To Cook Seaweed Pasta

I soaked and cooked the dried seaweed for 15 minutes in boiling water, then strained the broth and rinsed the cooked seaweed before adding it to the sauce.

I decided to serve it with a simple Italian sauce called Amatriciana – onion, garlic, chilli, bacon, lots of olive oil and tomatoes, and a few olives for good measure.

This ‘pasta’ works really well with Bolognese sauce or any other meat ragu, or used in a delicious superfood salad (try this Ottolenghi recipe for seaweed, ginger and carrot salad ).

How to cook seaweed pasta

What Can I Use Instead?

If you can’t find any seaweed pasta, you can still use good old zucchini noodles or regular pasta enriched with seaweed with this sauce.

Sneaky tip: If you’re unsure about serving this pasta to kids, try making a mix of regular tagliatelle with a few of the seaweed strands tossed through and see if they notice it or say anything. Then gradually build to more seaweed and less pasta.


More Healthy Pasta Recipes


Full Recipe 

Find the full list of ingredients, instructions, and a nutritional breakdown below. If you have questions or cook this recipe, please let me know in the comments, and make sure to rate this recipe so it’s easy for others to find.

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Seaweed Pasta all’Amatriciana

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Author: Irena Macri
Servings: 2
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Healthy
Print Pin Save
5 from 3 votes
Calories: 480kcal
This Seaweed Pasta all'Amatriciana recipe is a tasty and healthy alternative to traditional pasta dishes. The seaweed pasta provides a unique flavour and texture, and the combination of tomato sauce and optional cheese make it a satisfying meal. This dish is a great option for those who are looking for a gluten-free and low-carb alternative to traditional pasta. So, give it a try and me know what you think!

Ingredients 

  • 45 g seaweed pasta tagliatelle 2 oz.
  • 1 medium onion finely diced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 rashers of bacon finely diced
  • ½ long red chilli finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon dried mixed Italian herbs
  • 1 ½ cups tomato passata or tinned chopped tomatoes
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • A handful of marinated olives of choice
  • Grated Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast flakes to serve

Instructions

  • Soak dried seaweed in cold water for 10 minutes. In the meantime, bring a medium pot of water to boil and dice the ingredients.
  • Rinse the pre-soaked seaweed and add to the boiling water. Cook for 15 minutes then strain (you may want to keep the broth for soups) and rinse under warm water.
  • Prepare the sauce while the seaweed pasta is cooking. Add the onion, olive oil, bacon and chilli to a hot deep frying pan and sauté over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown and softened. Add the garlic and Italian herbs and mix through. Then add the tomatoes, salt and olives and stir. Cook over together over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times.
  • Stir the cooked seaweed pasta into the sauce and serve with or without shaved Parmesan on the side.

Notes

Any pasta can be used with this sauce as seaweed pasta can be hard to find. Nutritional information is calculated using macros for Seamore brand pasta and does not include cheese toppings.

Nutrition

Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 1833mg | Potassium: 752mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 956IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 231mg | Iron: 2mg
Keywords: Seaweed pasta, Pasta recipes, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free, Seaweed
Tried this recipe?Mention @cookedandloved or tag #cookedandloved

So, let me know what you think about seaweed pasta. Is this something you’d like to try? Or perhaps tried? What are your favourite ways to prepare it? Leave a comment below. 

Irena Macri
By Irena Macri

About the author: Hi, I’m Irena Macri. I share delicious recipes that I have cooked and loved. I am a published cookbook author, have been food blogging for over 10 years and have a Diploma in Nutrition. You will find many healthy recipes as well as my favourite comfort food. More about me here | Subscribe to my newsletter and freebies

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Comments

15 Comments
  1. Hi Irena, yet another innovative paleo idea I learn from you – seaweed pasta – sounds like an awesome paleo pasta staple. I definitely want to give it a try. Keep up the great work, a number of your recipes have become favourites in our house! Thanks, Tim

  2. Hi Irena!

    At first- I love Your blog! And the beetroot Salat and the broccoli pancakes and… Zahnklinik you for all these wonderful recipes!

    I was so happy that I could order the “pasta” to Germany and I made it last night for dinner (plus one aubrgine and one Reed pepper) and we had the leftovers for lunch today. It really tastes like pasta and I’m glad that I found this delicious source of iodine to geht me my pregnancy AND it keeps the blood glucose low! Please send more seaweed pasta recipes!

    Thank you so much!
    Anna

    1. Thanks Anna! Happy you found it useful AND that you liked the seaweed pasta. I will definitely try more recipes with it. I think the I Sea Pasta website has a few recipes you can try as well.

  3. 5 stars
    Thanks for this recipe…So Good! Its a great go to recipe. I have also done a veggie version where I replace the bacon with mushrooms. Yummy Yummy Yummy

  4. I’m wondering how much iodine is in this seaweed. I’ve read that you shouldn’t eat too much seaweed because it contains so much iodine. A whole plate full seems like a certain way to overdose… Any thoughts on that?

    Another comment – I have actually already tried this seaweed, mixing it with regular noodles. I used 10 grams for two people – it increases in volume so much after soaking/boiling that I would think that 45 grams could easily feed a family of 3, 4 if your children are small.

  5. I really wanted to make this recipe but I am not able to find the Seaweed Pasta here in the U.S. Guess I have to use Linguini instead.

    Sad,
    Irene

  6. I used it in miso it was wonderful..it is mild and went well in the dashi . Added tofu and green onion. Didn’t measure. Used scissors to cut into 2-3 inch pieces.. definitely a keeper

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