So you’ve decided, or have been told, to go gluten free and, like me, you are a pasta fanatic?! This post is for you J Over the years we have tried A LOT of pastas and some, well…. Yeah, you get it!
I am going to break down the common ingredients, with the textures and flavors they lend while recommending my go-to brands. (no sponsorship here, the following are what we use because we like the taste and texture)
Note: This post looks at Italian style noodles, I do not go into Asian style here…maybe a follow-up post will be in order 🙂
Barilla
The macaroni by Barilla is fantastic! I know that’s a bold statement to make when talking GF but it’s well deserved. We have used these elbow noodles (made with corn and rice) in homemade, baked mac & cheese, where it holds up beautifully and even retains perfect texture for the following day. Elbow or gomiti noodles are Italian noodles that were traditionally used in soups (i have used this brand in soups, and yes it holds up!). Barilla is an Italian company that has been producing noodles since 1877; so if anyone is going to be able to produce a GF noodle that holds up it’s these guys! Leftovers are never mushy and even my picky eaters fight for them. Other barilla products are just as delectable and they are often found on our pantry shelves.
Want an awesome homemade mac and cheese? Check out the video on Adam Cooks Everything! While Adam (my husband) does not say GF if you look closely he’s using the Barilla GF elbows in this dish because he was making it for me!
Le Veneziane
Fettucce is a broad flat noodle that comes in a small nest with 6 to a package. These are absolutely our favorite spaghetti/linguini/fettuccini replacement noodles. An Italian import, they are hard to find so when we do see them I grab several packages. Made with 100% corn flour they cook in only 6 minutes; but beware they cook in 6 minutes! Don’t let these yummy strands sit, set a timer, drain, rinse and eat straight away! While other corn only brands we’ve tried are a bit corny, the fettucce by Le Veneziane are not; they are delicate in texture and flavor.
It is awesome topped with just about anything. My sons favorite tends to be my classic marinara, my daughter loves plain with butter and cheese; while I love adding in spiralized zucchini and topping with a cauliflower alfredo; you can find that recipe here. Honestly I have not tried the other GF products by this company, as I have not come across them in the stores I frequent. I would be happy to try them though!
Catelli
This is probably our most commonly bought; it can be found any and everywhere. They seem to have the widest reach so when we are out of pasta it is an easy find. Catelli does it right when it comes to texture and flavor; I have fooled non-GF people with this pasta!
As a household though we do have only one complaint and it’s not really a complaint. Catelli uses a 4 grain blend: white rice, brown rice, corn and quinoa. In our household of 5 we have 2 that cannot eat quinoa (luckily it’s not the celiacs or the vegetarians) so if this is the brand I choose to make I have to do a gluten pasta as well or make a separate dish.
Check out this pasta dish I made using Catelli brand fusilli. Made it once; now it is a regular request.
We are a family of 5, 2 of us have celiac disease. Because of cost we have a Gluten station and on pasta nights I normally cook both GF and “normal” noodles. Since discovering the Barilla brand and the Fettucce by Le Veneziane the 3 non-celiacs prefer to dine GF. All 3 choose these GF brands over other pastas. I think that says a lot!!
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