While whole wheat pasta is technically processed, it is only minimally processed so it is still quite nutritious. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, a cup of cooked whole wheat spaghetti is very low in fat and sugar. It also contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Additionally, it contains 6.3 grams of fiber. To put this in perspective, the American Heart Association (via UCSF Health) recommends that adults need about 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day so one cup of whole wheat spaghetti can make a significant contribution to keeping you regular. And if you add vegetables to your pasta, this will boost the fiber content of your meal even further.
On the other hand, spaghetti that’s undergone further processing to give it that familiar yellowish-white color loses quite a bit of its fiber content in the process. A cup of cooked spaghetti of this variety now only contains 2.5 grams of fiber. You’ll have to consume a lot more calories just to match how much fiber is in whole-wheat spaghetti.