As most people know, the great American city of Detroit has had a few ups and a lot of downs over the last 50 or 60 years. But blight and a depressed economy made room for entrepreneurs to start businesses.

The product Detroiter Brian Rudolph aimed to develop and sell was a new type of pasta. He began experimenting in his own kitchen in 2013. He hit on a chick pea-based pasta with twice the protein, four times the fiber and about half the net carbs as ordinary pasta. Plus, gluten-free folks can safely eat Banza pasta.

I met some of the Banza crew this year at the IDEA World Fitness & Nutrition Expo in Los Angeles. They gave me a box to try. I told them I wasn’t sure if my husband would go for it, as he is anti-garbanzo bean. “This pasta has fooled many husbands,” somebody in the booth said, urging me to pass off the Banza as ordinary pasta.

Banza, served with salad and topped with tomato sauce and crumbled Italian-flavored seitan by Upton’s Naturals.

For me, pasta is a vehicle for massive amounts of tomato sauce. So I didn’t even notice the difference. I’d be happy to swap our normal pasta for Banza in any Italian dish. The added protein, fiber and getting 30 percent of my iron allowance in one serving are all great reasons to switch.

I made dinner with Banza pasta, lots of sauce, and crumbled Italian-flavored seitan made by Upton’s Naturals.

Turned out my husband was harder to fool. But then, he loves pasta as much as he loves tomato sauce, and thought Banza tasted different. So I guess whether or not you like this product depends on how attached you are to the taste of traditional pasta. Personally, I think the extra fiber and pasta are well worth the altered taste.