Growing up on a peninsula jutting out from San Diego, CA, I was fortunate to be surrounded by the sea. As kids, we would often go out fishing in the peaceful kelp beds right off of Point Loma. One of my most favorite activities was to hang off the edge of a boat, and simply gaze directly down into the sun-filtered seaweed forest that seems to stretch down for miles. Schools of fish of all sizes would navigate in and out of the kelp maze taking refuge from larger, more ominous predators that lurked outside of the dense floating jungle. Occasionally giant tanker ships would come by and harvest the seaweed and pulverize it down, isolating only a jelly-like substance called agar. This goo was used as filler in products like custard and jam. The seaweed was never ever used in its entirety.
Fast forward to quite a few years later, and seaweed has proven to be the darkhorse rockstar. Not only is seaweed one of the most nutritionally dense plants on the planet, but it’s also the most abundant source of minerals in the plant kingdom as they have access to all the nutrients in the ocean. A company named Blue Evolution has tapped into seaweed’s incredible benefits by creating a line of super delicious kinds of pasta and marinara sauce. Yes, both using beautiful green dried seaweed!
Blue Evolution touts other nutritional seaweed wins:
- The vitamins and minerals in seaweeds are highly bioavailable, meaning our bodies absorb them more readily than pill-based nutritional supplements. That’s great news because seaweeds are vitamin and mineral rich. Some seaweeds can contain up to 10 times more calcium than milk and 8 times as much as beef.
- Seaweeds contain lignans (naturally occurring chemical compounds) which have anti-inflammatory properties. The chemical composition of seaweeds is so close to human blood plasma that they are excellent at regulating and purifying our blood.
- They are rich in chlorophyll (the pigment that makes some seaweeds green) which is a powerful, natural detoxifier that helps to draw out waste products. Seaweeds can also play a role in boosting weight loss and deterring cellulite build-up. Their naturally high concentration of iodine helps to stimulate the thyroid gland, which is responsible for maintaining a healthy metabolism.
Sustainable
Seaweed can also improve the health of our oceans by absorbing carbon dioxide and helping to reduce acidification. The seaweed gurus at Blue Evolution believe seaweed farming can reduce the world’s dependence on freshwater for food production, and help shift our food system towards renewables!
They were gracious enough to send me some samples to try out. I opted for the Blue Evolution Superfood Seaweed Penne pasta for an easy lunch.
While I boiled my water for the penne, I quickly sauteed some diced red pepper into a pan with some virgin olive oil. Since we don’t eat red meat or chicken, I always add something textural like peppers, soy sausage or onions to my pasta.
Leaving the peppers crunchy, I then added in 28 oz. of crushed tomatoes and 1/2 cup of water.
After a few good stirs, I slowly started to incorporate the Blue Evolution Superfood Seaweed Marinara seasoning into the tomato and pepper mixture. I set my flame to low and let the sauce simmer.
The Blue Evolution Superfood Seaweed Penne pasta cooks like regular pasta and was al dente in about 8 minutes.
I heaped the gorgeously red and green seaweed flecked sauce on top of the hot seaweed penne pasta and added a bit of fresh Parmigiano Reggiano.
The sauce was tangy, fresh tasting and absolutely delicious! The pasta had a perfect weight, hearty and paired perfectly with the bright sauce. I’m not sure why anyone would eat plain ol’ boring pasta from here on out?
The vitamin-rich pasta and marinara dish also received rave reviews from my husband and daughter! What a feel-good meal – healthy, nutrient dense and gentle on our planet.
Blue Evolution Superfood Seaweed Penne pasta is all about eating local too! They are responsibly harvesting seaweed in farms up-and-down the Pacific Coast. They carefully monitor and control the growing environment, then harvest and dry their seaweed naturally, using a proprietary process that uses no solvents or other chemicals.
You may find Blue Evolution Pastas (they even have gluten-free!) online here –> https://www.blueevolution.com/products/
I received samples to try for this article, and no compensation. All opinions are that of my own.
