Last night, I had an ancient grain for dinner. It's called Einkorn. Don't worry, I hadn't heard of it either until I learned about a company called Jovial making pasta from this once forgotten grain. That's pretty exciting even if you're not a pasta-holic like I am!

Photo courtesy Jovial Foods

In a nutshell, Einkorn was the first domesticated type of wheat way back yonder in the Neolithic era. That's like 12,000 years ago! There's archaeological evidence that Einkorn was cultivated from the Fertile Crescent (think Middle East, in case your 7th grade geography lessons have been lost) to Central Europe.

Fast forward to 1991 and a couple of hikers in the Italian Alps came across the remains of a 5,000-year old iceman. His body was so well preserved that scientists were able to determine that Einkorn was part of his final meal.

Most of the wheat we consume today has been hybridized for optimal crop production through agriculture. Since Einkorn hasn't been heavily cultivated, it's experienced no hybridization. Essentially, it's one of the only pure grains on earth. This is a good thing because it means it's more nutritionally sound. Compared to most other types of wheat, Einkorn is higher in thiamin, lutein, protein and a number of other vitamins and minerals. Oh yeah, and it's also 100% certified organic AND the pasta is made in a dedicated vegan facility.

To try out the Einkorn spaghetti, I adapted one of the recipes on their website and whipped up a tasty pesto. It was a perfect companion for the subtle nutty-but-sweet pasta and a glass of red wine. This dish comes together very quickly but requires some multi-tasking to do so!

Spaghetti with Roasted Red Pepper & Almond Pesto
Yield: 2 entrees or 4 sides

1 large red bell pepper
4 ounces Whole Grain Einkorn Spaghetti
1 large clove garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp almonds, toasted
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup baby spinach leaves (or any leafy green)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Set a pot of salted water on high (for the pasta).

Heat a gas burner to high and char the pepper on all sides. (You can also do this in the oven if you don't have a gas range.) When you're halfway done, it should look like this:


Once thoroughly blackened, transfer to a paper bag or a lidded bowl until it's cool enough to handle. This will force them to let go of their skins and make them infinitely easier to remove than they would otherwise be.

Once you've set aside your roasted pepper, cook your pasta according to package instructions.

While your pasta is cooking, pulse together garlic, almonds and salt in your trusty food processor until finely chopped. Then add the spinach and pulse again.

Remove your pepper from the bag and peel the skins off. Transfer to a cutting board, cut in half lengthwise, and scrape out seeds and stems. Add peppers to the food processor and pulse until a paste forms. Drizzle in olive oil and lemon juice, and pulse until incorporated.

Once your pasta is done, drain and return to the pot off the heat. Add pesto to pasta and toss to coat. Serve alone or, like me, with a tasty side of sautéed mushrooms.


If you're ready to reach beyond semolina and give Einkorn a try, you can find Jovial pastas at Whole Foods or at another retailer near you.