Heartland 100% Whole Grain Rotini 13.25 oz (pack of 12)

This is the best whole wheat rotini I have tried; most others sneak in some white flour and don't give you the fiber and almost chocolaty dark flavor. I just cook in a serving dish in a microwave with no draining. Just barely cover with water with open top for a dozen or so minutes at simmer after initial boil. Afterward, stir in salsa sauce which thins a bit in the remaining water and sticks into the spirals. Ahhh...

We've been using this brand for a couple of years on a subscription basis, and that includes a stage where the packaging and quantity was discontinued and reintroduced with a slightly larger quantity, better ability to recycle the packaging itself. The product itself remained consistent. It is a very hearty and filling pasta, the ingredient list is easy to interpret and understand, and seems to strike us as one of those products you can feel pretty good about consuming. The packaging is fully recyclable, too. I should note that we have also tried the thin spaghetti version (this brand doesn't run the gamut with shapes or sizes, but it's really the same stuff, so I couldn't care less!) with similar results to what I'm writing below... rotini, spaghetti, etc.My advice when cooking is to constantly check to see that it's not undercooked, as its texture will otherwise remain somewhat grainy. Overcooking isn't a problem; if it puffs up too much and floats while boiling -as most pasta will when it's overcooked- just let it cool and drain for a little while so it becomes the "al dente" you may be more accustomed to. Make no mistake: there's a clear difference between eating this product cooked to its best versus the usual overprocessed "white" pasta that we've likely and normally grown up with. In fact, certain immediate family members often crave the "regular" kind over this healthier stuff, and I believe that there are two reasons for this:1) The texture of "regular" pasta retains its smoothness, even after refrigeration. This whole wheat version loses moisture more quickly, therefore it slightly hardens, which should be common for what it is. No big deal; sprinkle on some water before microwaving it or re-boiling it should restore it to its excellence.2) This pasta doesn't absorb other flavors well, which is why I give it 4 rather than 5 stars. For instance, when cooking with a sauce, it may benefit to actually cook the pasta with the sauce so as to allow those flavors to "stick," rather than just dumping the sauce over the pasta (which is typical) before serving. This particular brand, for some reason (and it may have to do with its density and texture; I don't know enough about the food science behind whole wheat products such as pasta) does not allow for a more complete absorption while cooking. In other words, the pasta's flavor itself is not fully masked. Considering that it's not spinach-flavored or has squid ink added to it like some "gourmet" pastas do (and those unique flavors SHOULD show up in the final dish by design), I'd see it as adding another dimension to a dish, taking the positive spin on it. But people used to cooking with regular, over-processed, bleached, and "enriched" pastas may not be used to actually tasting the pasta itself when eating a dish with certain sauces.Overall, I'd strongly recommend it for its overall benefits, and we plan to stick with it for a long time.

I wanted a whole grain pasta, I love rotini. This meets the bill!I buy 12 boxes at a time and it's cost effective and I never worry about running out.I enjoy the taste and texture, although if you're not used to whole grain, you may wish to cook a bit longer. It is chewier and has more texture than regular white pasta. I also find it more filling. And I know it's healthier for me.

I thought that this buy had excellent value for the price, and the rotini was healthful.

I'm a bit picky with my pasta, and whole wheat can be tricky. I've had versions that taste like cardboard, and no matter how long you cook 'em they're still tough! But not Heartland; it cooks between 10-12 minutes and it more mimics the consistency of white pasta. I'm pretty sure you could turn it into moosh if you kept cooking it. The flavor is is nice as well. What I'm truly happy about is the ability to buy wheat pasta that I find nice 'n tasty that isn't made by Barilla. I'll be a repeat customer!

I really like this rotini. My husband has never been a fan of any pasta that is not made with white flour, but even he liked it.Lots of whole grain pasta is not good al dente. It usually requires longer cooking time but this is good al dente.

This so far that I have tried is the closest in texture to "regular" pasta and tastes great. 100% whole unlike some other more popular name brands. This is the first I have ever had food shipped and there were no problems. I will be doing it again.

i really like the wholewheat taste. My only suggestion is that you not cook it the 10-12 minutes specified by the package directions. That's gonna give you some pretty soggy spirals. Depending on how firm you like it, between 4 and 7 minutes should work.