Cooking with Konjac: What You Should Know About this Low-Carb Veggie
Have you heard about 9 calorie pasta? Sound too good to be true? Here’s what you need to know about cooking with konjac pasta.
Konjac pasta, or shirataki pasta as it's sometimes called, is a fantastic way to enjoy your favorite pasta dishes with a low-carb, low-calorie noodle. But like any new food, konjac noodles might be a bit daunting to use at first.
So what are konjac noodles? Let’s explore what makes It’s Skinny konjac pasta so different from other pasta options and why you should give konjac noodles a try.
WHAT ARE KONJAC NOODLES ANYWAY?
Have you ever heard of konjac? If your answer is no, don’t feel embarrassed. The vegetable isn't well known in the western world until recently. However, people in Asia have used this humble root for centuries for both food and medicinal purposes.
When you start cooking with konjac, you'll be in good company. It's been used in many Asian dishes in a variety of forms, including powdered, made into cakes, and made into pasta. As a medicinal application, practitioners have used konjac to combat constipation, high cholesterol, and a variety of other ailments. Many of thesehealth benefits are due to the root's high fiber content. In addition, konjac can provide filling "bulk" without carbs' typical gloppy, heavy effects.
The fiber in konjac is called glucomannan. It offers many of the benefits that we associate with fiber and some additional benefits that are currently under study. Although more research is needed, konjac even shows promising results in encouraging weight loss.
For now, though, konjac is a great way to enjoy pasta that’s high in fiber, low in calories, and low carb. You can choose from a variety of noodles as well as konjac rice, an ideal way to cut carbs in almost any of your favorite meals. Shirataki noodles are great for many different diets—keto, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, and more. It’s Skinny noodles contain only a few ingredients—konjac powder, oat powder, water, and calcium hydroxide as a preservative. They’re healthy and delicious.
The simple ingredients in It’s Skinny come together to create a konjac noodle that’s ready to round out your meals as a perfect swap for pasta or rice (yes, It’s Skinny makes a konjac rice version too). We've perfected our formula to be the best konjac pasta on the market. Reviewers love us, and TikTok users have been blown away by the variations and options for cooking with konjac.
As they’re known in Japan, Shirataki noodles get their name from a word meaning "white waterfall." The noodles have a waterfall-like appearance similar to traditional pasta but slightly paler in color. Adding a small amount of oat flour to our It's Skinny noodles helps them have a chewy, al dente texture that complements any dish, where you would use traditional pasta.
It's Skinny is, hands down, the best konjac pasta option. For calories, texture, and ease of preparation, It's Skinny wins over whole wheat pasta, chickpea pasta, and many other healthy pasta options on the market. It's Skinny doesn't get watered down like cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles. Instead, it compliments your noodle dishes and works well in nearly any recipe.
MEET THE KONJAC ROOT
It’s Skinny is made from konjac. So what is konjac? What does it taste like? Is it strange?
Konjac is classified as an herb with a bulb-like root. The konjac plant is also known as devil's tongue, snake palm, voodoo lily, and elephant yam (although it isn't really a yam). It grows in China, Japan, and throughout Southeast Asia. The plant has leafy greens and a dark purple bloom that looks similar to a lily.
The root of the konjac plant is what we use to make konjac noodles. It is very high in a fiber known as glucomannan, which is a soluble dietary fiber. It's similar to a turnip or a sweet potato in texture. The root is dark on the outside with white flesh. It's that inside of the root that makes excellent pasta.
Konjac root can be made into powder. The konjac powder has a thickening gelatinous texture that you can use in different culinary and medical applications. Some folks take konjac on its own as a weight loss supplement or as a method to relieve constipation. Some alternative medical practitioners also prescribe it to regulate cholesterol. It has been studied as an acne treatment as well.
Konjac root is a prebiotic, meaning that it helps to feed the healthy bacteria in your digestive system. Prebiotics are an essential part of a healthy diet and can assist your system in many ways, including supporting the immune system.
Of course, when used in delicious It’s Skinny konjac noodles, konjac also makes the meal complete—adding bulk and an excellent base for your favorite sauce and pasta toppings. A bag of It’s Skinny pasta contains two servings, with 4.5 calories each (9 calories per bag). There are no carbohydrates in a serving of It's Skinny either. So it's perfect if you want to enjoy your favorite pasta dishes but don't want to derail your low-carb diet or keto plan.
Another great aspect of cooking with konjac is that konjac noodles are filling. When you eat a low-carb, low-cal dish with shirataki noodles, you won't be left feeling hungry afterward. Unlike zucchini noodles ("zoodles") or other vegetable-based pasta swaps, konjac's fiber slightly expands in your stomach, helping you feel fuller longer. The soluble fiber takes time to digest and can prevent a snack attack between meals.
But because the konjac root is made with a fibrous vegetable, it won’t weigh you down like traditional carb-heavy pasta can. You won’t need to put on your stretchy pants after dinner or feel sluggish from a carb coma when you enjoy It's Skinny. You get all of the pasta you love without the guilt or need to take a nap. It's perfect for enjoying as a weeknight dinner, before the gym, or any time you need a healthy pasta fix.
People are often curious about the taste of shirataki noodles. Will the texture be strange? Will they overpower the dish? The great thing about cooking with konjac is that it tends to take on the flavor of the surrounding ingredients—similar to tofu or traditional pasta. When you add your sauce, protein, herbs, seasonings, and other vegetables to the dish, konjac blends seamlessly and doesn’t have a strong flavor by itself.
Share your It’s Skinny pasta dishes with friends and family. See if they can tell the difference between It’s Skinny and traditional pasta. When you tell them it’s only 9 calories per bag, it will blow their minds!
COOKING WITH KONJAC
So what do you need to know when you're cooking with konjac? Is there any special preparation required for shirataki noodles? Does konjac work with other ingredients?
The short answer is that any ingredients that complement traditional pasta will also play well with konjac. You can use shirataki noodles with many different sauces, proteins, herbs, and seasonings. The noodles fit well in a variety of different dishes—Italian, Asian, even South American dishes that usually call for rice.
You can use the noodles in spaghetti a la Bolognese, fettuccini alfredo, or in a curry or noodle dish like Lo Mein. Shirataki noodles are easy to work with and marry with the other flavors for a seamless presentation and a satisfying meal.
Cooking with konjac noodles is easy. All you have to do is open the package, drain, and add the noodles to your dish toward the end of your cooking. There's no need to boil the noodles like traditional pasta. Instead, heat konjac pasta through, and it’s ready to enjoy. Konjac noodles are perfect for beginning cooks, weeknight meals, and dinner on the go.
Some people prefer to pat the noodles dry with a paper towel before adding them to the other ingredients. If you're sauteing vegetables or protein like chicken or shrimp, pat the noodles dry and toss them in when the protein is finished cooking. You just need to heat the noodles through, and they're ready to devour. It couldn't be easier.
If you’re ready to start cooking with konjac, order some today. It’s Skinny noodles are available on Amazon in a convenient four-pack. So get your noodles today and explore all the fantastic pastabilities.
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