The world’s love affair with pasta traces back thousands of years to Asia, where archaeologists believe the first noodles were produced. There’s been no turning back from this versatile and delicious comfort food favorite. Its reputation has been bruised in recent years, however, taking hits from the low-carb diet trend, wheat allergies, and accusations of contributing to several types of ill health, from weight gain and diabetes to cardiovascular disease. Not to be defeated, our collective penchant for pasta has redefined noodles as we know them in a market that’s exploding with novel varieties made from veggies, beans, lentils, seaweed, mushrooms, and more. While it’s great we don’t have to give up our pasta fix, so many seemingly better and more nutritious options can make the best healthful choice confusing. Pasta 101 Pasta is made from milled durum wheat (semolina), a hard wheat that’s higher in protein than the wheat …