Introducing Authentic Italian Pasta Chips

DISCLOSURE

I was given this free product or sample because I am a Klout influencer. I am under no obligation to receive the sample or talk about this company. I get no additional benefits for talking about the product or company.

Product: Authentic Italian Pasta Chips.

Introducing Pasta Chips

From the packaging:

Only 120 Cals. per serving. Non GMO project verified. Made from baked fresh pasta, 20% less fat than Pita Chips®. Vegan, crispy texture.

Inspired by an authentic Italian snack from the hills of Tuscany, Pasta Chips are a healthy take on a classic recipe. Made with Durum Wheat Semolina Flour-the main ingredient found in premium pastas- and Italian herbs, each chip is carefully cut to create the perfect edge and then baked until golden.

Crafted with fine seasonings based on regional Italian favorites, you can add a little taste of Italy to any of your favorite dips and cheeses, or enjoy simply from the bag. For a truly authentic experience, served topped with basil and mozzarella or with marinara for dipping.

Comes in 6 exciting flavors: Marinara, Alfredo, Spicy Tomato Basil, Spinach Broccoli Kale, Garlic Olive Oil and Mediterranean Sea Salt.

The Birth of Pasta Chips

Before yesterday I had never seen or heard about Pasta Chips. First off I am not a chips eater, unless by chips you mean fries, which is what we call fries where I’m originally from. For the purpose of this article when I say chips I mean American chips, not fries.

I only ever get introduced to chips if I’m at an informal function or at a restaurant and it is served as an appetizer. Hence the reason why that isle of the grocery store doesn’t appeal to me. So yesterday when I opened my mailbox and found a bag of Pasta Chips as my Klout Perk I was like, “Meh. This should be interesting.” I was wondering what to have for dinner and figured I’d give Pasta Chips a try. More on that later.

After reading the back of the packaging I saw it had the founder’s name, Jerry Bello so I Googled him. Turns out he’s an entrepreneur like myself, by that I mean if I was worth billions. Anyhoo, here’s what I found out from Food Navigator:

Before Pasta Chips, Mr. Bello created Veggie straws, I’ve see those, never tried it nor was ever tempted to. According to Food Navigator’s interview with Mr. Bello, the idea came to him while having dinner with his wife in Tuscany, Italy, when the restaurant they were in served them lightly baked pasta dough drizzled with sea salt and olive oil. Read the rest of the story here.

Like a good entrepreneur Mr. Bello didn’t reinvent the wheel, he enhanced it.

Pasta Chips is fairly new, it only hit the shelves in September 2013, as reported by Food Navigator.

A Non Chip Eater Meets Pasta Chips

So yesterday as I mentioned I got Pasta Chips in my mail as a Klout Perk reward. See the disclaimer above. I was or am not paid to review this product. Actually the letter that came with it said I could share it or not. So there was absolutely no pressure.

Okay, so back to my dinner dilemma which was now solved. If you are a long term subscriber of the newsletter you know that I don’t eat a heavy dinner, actually dinner is my lightest meal of the day. It usually consists of a cup of tea and some crackers, tuna, or egg salad or cereal, you get the idea.

I decided to add my tuna mixture: (Canned tuna (in water), olive oil with rosemary, cilantro, a little yellow mustard, a bit of mayo and a tiny bit of mamma pepper sauce), as a topping to Pasta Chips and a cup of dark hot chocolate to wash it down with.

The first bite was nice, but I felt that the tuna overpowered the taste of the chips so I tried it alone. That’s when I really got the essence of the chips. It tasted like water crackers with fresh seasonings, decadent, light and very tasty. So I put the tuna aside and just had the chips. I loved it! It was amazingly crispy. I thought it was made of rice, I didn’t get the sense that it was made from pasta just by tasting it— this coming from an adult who used to eat raw pasta as a child (yes I know, I needed therapy LOL). You know how anything that is good for you usually doesn’t taste good, this is the exception. Once I started I couldn’t stop, but I did, I even brought some to work. See photo below.

I was very glad that is is also a vegan product because I work in a place with picky eaters and vegans and they loved it.

The packaging

I liked the packaging, the material was light and the colors blended nicely, the front of the pack had all the information health conscious people would need to make a buying decision. Nice tactic since it will be competing with other chips on the grocery shelves. The only thing I didn’t like was that half the pack was filled with air. I understand that air is needed for whatever reason but when I opened the pack and saw that, I was put off. Hint: either make the pack smaller or put more product and fill up some of that space. Another thing I liked was that the pack was resealable. Very handy for traveling.

At lunch I also discovered that it goes well with salad in place of crotons. It gave the salad a nice crunch and lifted the flavor. Delicious!

Overall, would I recommend Pasta Chips? Heck YES!!!! Don’t be surprised if in book 6 of my Family Portrait series you read about Zax or Haze crunching on some pasta chips.

I told the kind folks at the Pasta Chips company that I’d like to share the experience with you guys and they were wonderful enough to give us this special.

Click to Save $1.50 on any one bag of Pasta Chips, any size

Thank you, folks at Pasta Chips!

I tested the Garlic Olive Oil flavor.