Want more protein and fiber in your diet? Try edamame pasta.

Here’s a simple way to boost your fiber and protein intake: Eat legume pastas.

Found in many grocery stores, legume pastas are made from black beans, chickpeas, red lentils, lupine beans, fava beans and edamame — a type of soybean typically served in sushi restaurants.

Edamame pasta is a standout in the world of legume pastas. A two-ounce serving of edamame spaghetti contains around 12 grams of dietary fiber — roughly the same amount in two cups of cooked broccoli.

Fiber is a particularly critical nutrient, one that most adults don’t get nearly enough of. Studies show that eating fiber nourishes your gut microbiome and lowers your risk of developing cancer, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Health authorities recommend that adults eat at least 28 grams of fiber a day. Yet the average person in the United States eats far less than that — just 16 grams of fiber daily.

Edamame pasta is also high in protein: A serving of edamame spaghetti has about 24 grams of protein — equivalent to the amount of protein in about four eggs. Edamame spaghetti is gluten-free and rich in iron, potassium and calcium, too.

Danielle Belardo, a preventive cardiologist and nutrition expert in Los Angeles, said she eats edamame spaghetti and other legume-based pastas three to four times a week. Belardo, a vegan, said legume pastas provide “an excellent combination of high fiber and high protein in one convenient, whole-food package.”

Belardo said she recommends legume pastas to her patients because the pastas are convenient, filling, and can improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

But cooking with legume pastas — and making them taste good — isn’t the same as cooking with traditional varieties. To help you make the most out of legume pastas, we analyzed their nutritional benefits and experimented with several recipes for edamame pasta in the kitchen. Here’s what we learned.

Legume pastas vs. traditional pastas

Many legume pastas contain just one ingredient: dried beans or lentils that are ground into flour and combined with water to make dough, which is then shaped into spaghetti, penne, rotini and other types of pasta. Because legumes are high in protein and fiber, so too is legume pasta.

Traditional dried pasta is made from wheat kernels that have had their outer and innermost layers removed, a process called refining. That’s important because these parts of the wheat contain most of its fiber and vitamins. The part that’s left behind and used to make the pasta is the starchy endosperm, which is why traditional pasta is low in fiber and full of fast-digesting carbs.

Some pastas are made from whole wheat, meaning they’re made from the whole grain. Whole wheat pasta contains more fiber and other nutrients than traditional white pasta. But legume pastas typically contain more protein and fiber than whole wheat pasta.

In terms of flavor, legume pastas taste earthier and nuttier than conventional pasta, making them reminiscent of whole wheat noodles. Texture-wise, they’re bouncier and seem akin to soba noodles, making them particularly well-suited to Asian flavors.

The health benefits of legume pastas

• Fiber: Legume pastas made from edamame, black beans, lupine beans and red lentils are especially high in fiber. Scientists think there are a number of reasons fiber has been linked to better health outcomes. Fiber promotes the growth of healthy microbes in your gut and prompts them to produce compounds like short chain fatty acids, which lower inflammation. These microbes also stimulate the release of GLP-1, a hormone that promotes satiety and helps to lower blood sugar levels. This is the same hormone that drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are designed to mimic.

• Low glycemic: Because legume pastas are high in fiber and relatively low in carbs, they have a lower glycemic impact than regular pasta. That means they’re digested more slowly and are less likely to spike your blood sugar levels. That can translate to metabolic health benefits. Studies have found that eating low-glycemic foods can improve blood sugar control and help people lose weight and body fat. Some studies suggest that it can also reduce blood pressure and inflammation.

• Plant protein: Belardo especially likes that legume pastas are rich in plant protein. In one study published in the journal BMJ, scientists analyzed data on over 715,000 people who were followed for up to 32 years. They found that people who consumed a lot of plant protein were 8% less likely to die during the study period compared with people who ate very little plant protein. They also had a 12% lower risk of dying of cardiovascular disease.

How to cook edamame pasta

So how can you make a delicious edamame pasta dish? To find out, we experimented with several approaches to the sauce, with the goal of finding something punchy enough to stand up to the spaghetti — or perhaps even overpower it to satisfy anyone who might find the pasta to be an acquired taste.

Ultimately, we found a winner in a vibrant sauce made with whole peas, feta and pistachios. The dish clocks in at 22 grams of fiber (more than three-quarters of a day’s worth) and 39 grams of protein — and goes down easily.

Here are tips for cooking with edamame and other legume pastas:

• If you’re new to legume pastas, then start off slow. Start with a 2-ounce serving of legume pasta once a week. If you want to eat it more often, then gradually increase the amount to two or more servings per week over the ensuing weeks. Experts say that for some people, suddenly increasing the amount of fiber in your diet — from legume pastas or any other fiber-rich foods — could lead to some initial gastrointestinal discomfort. But over time that should go away as your body adjusts.

• Be sure to follow the package instructions for cooking. One brand of edamame spaghetti, for instance, calls for you to boil it for just 5 or 6 minutes, while another suggests adding it to boiling water, turning off the heat and letting the pasta gently soak until tender.

• Remember the sauce adds fiber, too. In our experiments in the kitchen, adding ingredients such as artichoke hearts, navy beans and mustard greens tasted good. But the fiber overload was simply too much and felt heavy going down.

• Pick the legume pasta that tastes best to you. Some have different flavors and textures than others, so you should try a few and see which ones you like. A good starting point for most people is chickpea or lentil pasta, since their textures tend to be the most similar to traditional wheat pasta, Belardo said.

• Pair the pasta with punchy flavors. Garlicky, lemony and maybe spicy flavors can stand up to the pasta’s earthy taste. Belardo said she likes eating red lentil pasta with arugula pesto, walnuts and chia seeds. She also likes edamame spaghetti tossed with lemon tahini sauce and roasted vegetables, and black bean spaghetti with sautéed mushrooms and tomato sauce. Another smart option would be to employ a spicy peanut sauce with the edamame spaghetti.

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Edamame Spaghetti With Peas and Pistachios

½ teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed

7 to 8 ounces edamame spaghetti

3½ cups fresh or frozen peas, divided

1½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water

½ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped and divided

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from ½ lemon), plus more as needed

3 garlic cloves, smashed

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more as needed

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

½ cup toasted unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Flaky sea salt (optional)

Bring a large pot or Dutch oven of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and prepare according to the package instructions; depending on the brand, you may need to boil the noodles or simply soak them in just-boiled water. Drain.

In a blender, combine 1½ cups of the peas, the broth or water, half of the mint, the lemon juice, garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt and the red pepper flakes, and puree until smooth. Taste, and season with more lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes, if desired.

Return the pot to medium-high heat and heat the oil until shimmering. Pour in the sauce, bring to a simmer, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until slightly reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups of peas and cook, stirring, until they are thoroughly heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked spaghetti and toss to combine.

Divide among individual plates or shallow bowls. Sprinkle with the feta, pistachios, the remaining half of mint and, if desired, another pinch of red pepper flakes and some flaky salt. Serve warm.

Servings: 4 (makes 8 cups)

Storage: Refrigerate, preferably without the pistachios, for up to 4 days. Where to buy: Edamame spaghetti, from brands such as Explore Cuisine (8 ounces) or Seapoint Farms (7 ounces), can be found in natural foods stores, supermarkets with a large selection of health-focused ingredients and online.

Substitutions: For edamame pasta, another legume-based pasta or any conventional or whole-grain dried pasta of your choice. For peas, use shelled edamame. For mint, use basil or parsley. For lemon juice, use lime juice. For feta, use ricotta salata or fresh goat cheese (chèvre). To make it vegan, use a nondairy feta, such as Violife.

Nutritional information per serving (2 cups), based on 8 ounces dried pasta: 493 calories, 20 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 48 g carbohydrates, 749 mg sodium, 25 mg cholesterol, 39 g protein, 22 g fiber, 11 g sugar.

— Joe Yonan