6 Delicious Gluten-Free Pasta Recipes!

Since I have been diagnosed with lupus, integrative and naturopath doctors recommended an anti-inflammatory diet. So, since 2013 I stopped eating gluten, dairy, refined and brown cane sugar, and drinking alcohol.

 

But cutting gluten doesn’t mean cutting pasta for life! As low-carb diets and gluten sensitivities have become more commonplace, several pasta brands have finally responded to the increased demand for gluten-free products. Many of these products use ingredients with a lower net carb count—total carbs minus fiber—than their traditional wheat-based pasta counterpart.

 

The inclusion of ingredients such as legumes, which are naturally higher in fiber and protein, make this ‘new type of pasta’ healthier and tasty. As a bonus – with a lower net carb, conversion to blood sugar in the body is slower, keeping your energy more stable.

 

Here are six good options, suggested by Elsie Yang from Well+Good:

 

• Best for skeptics: Banza Chickpea Pasta

Banza makes chickpea pasta that cooks quickly, has a fantastic chewy texture, and easily replaces traditional wheat-based pasta in just about any recipe. The brand also offers lots of gluten-free pasta varieties (including boxed mac and cheese kits) and is pretty easy to find in many major grocery stores. Plus, if you’re looking to expand your gluten-free Italian menu, Banza is now offering gluten-free pizzas made with a chickpea crust.

 

• Best if you’re Paleo: Cappello’s Almond Pasta

Not all gluten-free products cut it for people who are Paleo; they also don’t eat legumes or grains of any kind, making many alt-pastas off the table for these eaters. Enter Paleo cult-favorite brand Cappello’s, which uses almonds as the base of its pasta. All of its pasta products are stored in the freezer rather than in the pantry (and cook in under two minutes), so think of the brand’s offerings as gluten-free, grain-free analogs to fresh pasta. On the flavor and texture front, it delivers—you almost can’t tell it’s not the real deal.

 

• Best pea-based pasta: Zenb Rotini Pasta

Yellow peas may not be the first ingredient that comes to mind as a wheat replacement for your pasta, but Zenb proves that it certainly should be. If you like your pasta to retain that al dente bite, Zenb’s collection of rotini, penne, and elbow pasta are all fantastic options. This alt-pasta pairs particularly well with a thick, flavorful sauce, like a pumpkin-tomato ragu or a chunky eggplant topping.

 

• Best for folks with allergies: Jovial Foods Grain-Free Cassava Spaghetti

Jovial gives options regarding its gluten-free pasta, with both a brown rice offering and a slightly more exciting cassava offering—the latter is friendly to people with sensitivities to gluten, nuts, and legumes. Suppose you’re looking to make a curried Thai noodle dish or cold Chinese noodle salad. In that case, the cassava kinds of pasta are an alternative to wheat pasta and probably the superior replacement. They retain flavor and offer a more authentic texture for Asian cuisines than their gluten-loaded counterparts.

 

• Best affordable option: Barilla Red Lentil Pasta

Barilla may be known best for its more traditional pasta offerings, but they’ve taken their noodle expertise and applied it to the non-traditional varieties as well. We love their red lentil pasta which comes in penne, rotini, and spaghetti. If you’re looking to pair your classic bolognese with a gluten-free noodle, this Barilla option is the way to go.

 

• Best noodle: Thai Kitchen rice noodles

Whether it’s pad thai or pad see ew that has become your go-to Thai order, you’ll be pleased to know that the rice noodles (thick or thin) that dominate much of East Asian cooking are naturally gluten-free. Thai Kitchen makes great rice noodles that you can easily make at home, and unlike most other gluten-free (or gluten-full) kinds of pasta, these rice noodles cook in a jiffy, making for an easy weeknight meal.

 

You can combine them with your favorite sauce and voila! An easy weeknight dinner. Let me know which one you liked the best!

0 Like