If you’ve been gluten-free for a while, you’ll know that the struggle is real when it comes to finding a good gluten-free pasta.
While some brands stay chewy even after 20 minutes of boiling, others are like soggy strips of wet cardboard that fall to bits.
Is it possible to find a gluten-free pasta that’s healthy and tastes like the real deal? We went on a mission to find out, searching the supermarkets and health shops far and wide for the holy grail of taste, texture and pasta-ness. Here’s our verdict.
Rummo Gluten Free Mezzi Rigatoni, $4.00 for 400g
While we loved Rummo’s dedication to making their corn and rice-based pasta GMO-free, we question the addition of Emulsifier E471. Still, this pasta definitely delivered in the taste and texture, leaving many to wonder if it was actually gluten-free.
Meg, food and recipes manager: “This tastes better than some gluten options in the supermarket. Bravo Rummo!”
Olive Green Organics Amaranth & Rice Spaghetti, $5.60 for 300g
Organic rice, organic amaranth, water – we definitely appreciate the simplicity of this spaghetti! But the high rice content meant it took a longer time to cook than most brands.
Meagan, operations manager: “Good spaghetti texture, but quite rice-like in flavour. However, you can’t taste that once it’s smothered in sauce!”
Explore Cuisine Organic Red Lentil Penne, $5.69 for 250g
We were so excited by this bright red pasta… until it lost most of its colour in the boiling water. Nonetheless, the ingredients (organic red lentil and brown rice flours) are impressive.
Hannah, recipe development assistant: “Such an interesting flavour! It starts off tasting like pasta, then the lentil legume flavour kicks in. Dahl in pasta form, anyone?”
Ceres Organics Gluten-free Quinoa Fusili, $6.50 for 250g
We weren’t convinced by this pasta at first. It took forever to cook and the anaemic colour was off-putting. But once we tasted the soft spirals (and looked at the ingredient list – organic rice and quinoa) it became a fast favourite.
Camilla, senior writer + editor: “I can’t believe it’s not gluten! This one tastes like any good al dente pasta, slightly chewy and with a really subtle flavour.”
Orgran Gluten Free Buckwheat Spirals, $3.95 for 250g
Orgran gets top points for its ingredients list (just buckwheat flour and rice flour). However, the grainy taste and texture split us down the middle.
Matt, programs coordinator: “Yummy and nutty, although the texture is a little too paste-like for my liking.”
San Remo Gluten Free Egg Pasta Tagliatelle Nests, $4.99 for 250g
San Remo had the only gluten-free egg pasta we could find – and in supermarkets, too! While the ingredients list isn’t nutrient-dense (mainly corn starch), it’s the closest to real pasta. Just make sure to serve with a veggie-packed sauce.
Meg: “The noodles are a little crumbly, but I’d totally put up with that because they’re just so soft and nice to eat.”
Explore Asian Organic Black Bean Spaghetti, $5.99 for 200g
While these say spaghetti, it’s more like rice noodles… made of black beans. You may appreciate this if you’re looking for a low-carb option, but the grey-black strands freaked most of us out!
Camilla: “I’m impressed with the texture and flavour considering there really is only beans and water in there!”
Latina Fresh Gluten Free Beef Ravioli $7.50 for 280g
Mamma mia! We didn’t expect to find gluten-free ravioli in the supermarket, and we definitely didn’t expect the ingredients to be so free of nasties. These soft pillows taste just like the real thing.
Hannah: “Yum! So impressed by the restrained ingredients list from a big brand like Latina. The perfect dinner treat!”
Eco Organics Certified Organic Mung Bean Fettuccine, $5.99 for 200g
We saw this pasta popping up all over our Instagram feeds and had to try it. While we were impressed by the protein content and pure ingredients list (it’s mostly edamame, not mung beans) the taste was way too weird for most. Camilla liked it, but Camilla also doesn’t like potatoes, so who can you really trust?
Meg: “It’s just not pasta. IMPASTA!”
Camilla: “I quite like the flavour! Kind of nutty, a bit earthy. I’d have a full bowl.”
Zero Slim & Healthy Noodles Certified Organic Konjac Fettuccini Style, $3.65 for 400g
One thing’s for certain, this isn’t pasta. We’re not even sure it’s food. Also known as devil’s tongue and voodoo lily, konjac is a high-fibre root with a high gum content, which is why it can be used to make things like noodles. With virtually no nutritional value and just five calories a serve, we’d only eat konjac again in a Survivor-style situation (that is, for lots of money).
Matt: “Why eat something that literally gives you nothing in return?”
Rachel, writer: “It tastes like vegan jellyfish.”
Have you tried any of these pastas? Which gluten-free pasta is your favourite?
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