For anyone looking into gluten free pasta, there are a few things to be aware of.
1. Gluten free pasta tends to take longer to cook
2. Gluten free pasta is much starchier, especially when it contains corn flour (use a lot of water in the pot)
3. You need to stir gluten free pasta constantly, as it sticks together like crazy
4. It is very easy to under cook or over cook if you're not watching and tasting it frequently
Up until recently we have purchased our gluten free pasta from bulk barn. It doesn't cost nearly as much as store bought boxes, and you can buy it in whatever quantity you wish. I'd usually alternate between brown rice pasta and corn flour pasta. Brown rice pasta has a texture and taste more similar to whole wheat pasta, whereas corn flour pasta is softer and more similar to regular white pasta.
One major disclaimer when it comes to gluten free pasta, aside from those listed above. Gluten free pasta does not store well on its own after cooking. In our first attempts we took the leftover noodles and placed them in a container in the fridge. What we found is that after a few hours, it was all stuck together again and hard as a rock. You pretty much need to cut it with a knife if you wish to use it again. This appears to be the same regardless of what type of pasta you're using. The best advice I could give would be to store any leftovers with a healthy portion of sauce, to keep it moist and soft in the fridge.
A second warning would be for when it comes to adding the sauce. Some people rinse their pasta after cooking, to get off all of the leftover starch, but most prefer to simply drain the noodles and add the sauce. The extra starch helps the sauce to emulsify and coat the noodles better. It is almost always best to rinse your gluten free noodles with a bit of water as it is draining. Despite straining it, the water it cooks in becomes so starchy that the finished product with the sauce can be gooey and sticky. I always rinse my noodles with gluten free pasta. Before straining the noodles, I keep a few spoon fulls of the starch water to add once its on the plate.
Store bought gluten free pasta can be very hit and miss. Even a major brand like Catelli, which contains a blend of different gluten free flours has downsides. For one, the Catelli gluten free noodles are very brittle even before cooking. Simply taking it out of the box can cause problems, as they crumble and break very easily. Other store bought brands can be expensive, which of course is normal with any gluten free substitutes. Even though we purchased most of our gluten free pasta from bulk barn, we always try new brands when they come out. In the last couple of months we have found the perfect store bought brand.
Barilla is a company that has not only been around since 1877, but apparently has a 40-45% share of the Italian market, and a 25% share of the US pasta market. Maybe it is new to Canada, maybe it is new to Winnipeg, or maybe it has been around all along and I just never noticed, but I swear it has not been on the shelves here very long. In fact, the first time we found any in the store was last Fall. When Jamie pointed out that there was a new brand of pasta that had gluten free marked on the box, we obviously bought it to try. Once it was cooked, I was pleasantly surprised by both the texture and the taste. Barilla's gluten free pasta is not only the closest we've found to regular noodles, it is so close that I honestly can't tell the difference. I have all but abandoned other gluten free pastas since trying this, including the many varieties one can purchase at bulk barn. Considering pasta, especially spaghetti, has always been my go-to food, I always expected that I'd be picky with the gluten free substitutes on the market. I can say with 100% honesty that I have no complaints about the taste and texture of the Barilla gluten free pasta. A few times recently we had plans to make spaghetti and the stores we shop at were out of the gluten free pasta. We caved and bought Catelli or another brand, and I always feel disappointed. Going forward, this will be the #1 choice to buy without a doubt.
Now the important question. What about the price? As I said earlier, gluten free substitutes are always more expensive. Far too many people complain about this, which bothers me so much. If it costs more to make and manufacture, and more precautions need to be made when making a food, it is perfectly natural to charge more for it. This is a fact of life, and a completely fair fact at that. The first time we purchased the Barilla gluten free pasta, it was on sale for $2.50 a box at Safeway. This was exactly the same price that regular pastas were on sale for. We assumed that it was a temporary sale. In the months since then we have found time and time again that Barilla is the cheapest gluten free pasta on store shelves, regardless of where we shop. This of course is how it has been here in Winnipeg. Prices vary depending on where you live, so this may not always be the case, but one needs only to look up other Barilla reviews to find similar claims. It seems to me that Barilla gluten free pasta is the most affordable substitute out there, and I hope it remains that way.
While the taste and price are the selling points, be warned that ANY gluten free pasta requires more time and attention, as I detailed above. Still expect to keep the water at a higher boil, and continue to stir frequently to avoid clumping. These are minor inconveniences that any gluten free person should expect. As far as taste and texture goes, I really can't recommend this product enough.
Barilla currently offers gluten free spaghetti, elbow macaroni, penne and spiral rotini noodles. From our experiences, these can be found in almost all major grocery stores.
