Pasta Reunited

Gluten-free pasta may not be hard to find. It seems to be popping up everywhere these days. But good gluten-free pasta can be hard to find. Those who remember the wheat-based products probably remember the hardiness, weight, and ability to hold a sauce. Many gluten-free pastas have disappointed me over the years. They were often soggy, tasteless, and/or sauce would drip right off them. Notice the ‘and/or’. It’s disappointing when one occurs, imagine two or three!

My favourite pasta has appeared numerous times here. Le Veneziane is a corn-based pasta that has a nice texture and holds sauce really well. There are a variety of types, although fettuccini tends to be my favourite. This is my go-to-pasta for the quality and the price.

There are others that have appeared in my cupboard and seem to be replenished when they run low. In the words of Martha Stewart: ‘It’s a good thing’.

Mrs. Leepers is also a corn-based pasta that can be found at some of the big stores (mainly Loblaws). I buy this one because it’s the only gluten-free elbow pasta I’ve seen and liked. It’s great for mac & cheese or any type of soup that has noodles. At first glance it may seem a little bit more expensive than others (around $4.50/bag), but the package is a decent weight.

Riso Bello is a rice-based pasta that I actually enjoy. Out of all the gluten-free pastas, rice ones give me the most grief. Here is one that meets expectations and comes in a variety of types. So far, I’ve only found this at Farm Boy and is a reasonable price.

San Zenone corn pasta made by Prairie Harvest Pasta (finally a good old Canadian product). Like Le Veneziane, this is a great product with a good texture, taste, and can hold onto a sauce.

The downside about finding these great gluten-free pastas: my intake of pasta has risen dramatically. The upside: I can now enjoy all the great sauces I haven’t made in a long time.