Spaghetti Noodles

Jovial Gluten Free Spaghetti

Jovial is the winner of America’s Test Kitchen gluten free spaghetti tasting. They said it “offered chewy yet tender noodles with a pleasant, neutral flavor.” I agree with them – it is my favorite gluten free pasta, being tender and tasting like regular pasta. It is made with brown rice and produced in a dedicated gluten free facility. Friends and family are surprised when I serve it and tell them it’s gluten free.

Ronzoni Gluten Free Thin Spaghetti

This is my #2 favorite pasta and it’s made with a 4-grain blend of white rice, brown rice, corn and quinoa. It’s so light and tender, the texture is like angel hair pasta. It’s also produced in a dedicated gluten free facility.

Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti

While the spaghetti tastes like traditional pasta, the noodles are sticky. It is made with corn and rice flours on a dedicated gluten free line.

Chickpea and Lentil Pasta

Barilla Chickpea Rotini

Foods made with chickpeas are popping up everywhere. I reviewed Hippeas vegan cheese puffs in https://liveglutenanddairyfree.com/vegan-cheese-puffs/. The pasta only has one ingredient, chickpea flour, and has the starchy texture of pasta. I prepared it two ways. First, I added Earth Balance Vegan Butter and Go Veggie Grated Parmesan Cheese.  Secondly, I mixed it with pasta sauce and both dishes came out great.

Barilla Red Lentil Penne

Like the chickpea pasta, this one is made with only one ingredient, red lentil flour, and is starchy. You get the texture of pasta and a healthy serving of vegetables with both.  

Annie’s Gluten Free Vegan Red Lentils with Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Sauce

Note: You need 1/2 cup alternative milk and 2 tbsp. vegan butter to cook this pasta.

While I like that the pasta is made with red lentils and contains 1/2 a cup of vegetables per serving, it becomes mushy when mixed with the sauce and you don’t taste sweet potato or pumpkin. Annie’s gluten free vegan mac and cheese is a better option (https://liveglutenanddairyfree.com/gluten-and-dairy-free-mac-n-cheese/).

Gnocchi

Gnocchi looks like fluffy little pillows and is technically a dumpling. It is similar to the dumplings in Chicken and Dumpling soup. They are usually made with wheat flour, but Simply Wize and Nocca have gluten free gnocchi made from potatoes.

Simply Wize Gluten Free Gnocchi

The gnocchi is moist and chewy without being mushy. I cooked it with spaghetti sauce and meatballs and it took on the flavor of the sauce well. I discovered this at Home Goods of all places (https://liveglutenanddairyfree.com/hidden-gluten-and-dairy-hidden-treasures/). The flavors are plain, spinach and pumpkin. It is also suitable for those on a FODMAP diet (FODMAP stands for “fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols.” They are small carbs that many people cannot digest).

Nocca Gluten Free Gnocchi Potato Dumplings

While the gnocchi is a little sticky after boiling, it has a great taste. I made this one with vegan butter and Parmesan cheese and it was a tasty dish.

TIP: You’ll know the gnocchi is cooked when they float to the surface of the water.

Sauces

Most pasta sauces are naturally gluten and dairy free, being made with tomatoes, oil and herbs, so they will not be reviewed. However, I review sauces that usually made with dairy – alfredo, vodka and pesto.

Primal Kitchen Alfredo Sauce

The sauce is tangy, cheesy and rich. It is made with garlic, lemon, cashews and avocado oil.  It has a great alfredo flavor and is the perfect accompaniment to any pasta. The sauce is also Paleo, Keto and soy free.

Primal Kitchen Vodka Sauce

This is a nice tomato-based sauce. It’s not sour or tangy and you don’t really taste the vodka. It’s made with avocado oil, tomato, cashews and organic vodka. And it’s also Paleo and soy free.

Seggiano Fresh Basil Pesto

Most pesto sauces contain grated Parmesan, but this brand is dairy free. It contains the traditional ingredients – basil, olive oil and pine nuts. It also contains cashews. It has a great basil taste and if you miss the Parmesan, you can sprinkle it with Go Veggie or Follow Your Heart grated Parmesan cheese. If you want a fresher flavor, Violife makes a Parmesan block that you can grate.

Conclusion

Tennis player Monica Seles said, “life is not worth living if I cannot have pasta or bread again.” With gluten and dairy free options, we don’t have to give up pasta. There are so many gluten free pastas made with rice, corn and even legumes. Then there’s gnocchi made with potatoes and sauces made without dairy.

If you’d like help with living gluten and dairy free, please visit the Products page.

Fun Food Fact

There are over 300 shapes of pasta. The three most popular are spaghetti, macaroni and penne.

Did You Know?

On April 1, 1957, the BBC made everyone believe that spaghetti grew on trees. Women were shown carefully plucking strands of spaghetti from a tree (see pic below). At the time, spaghetti was not widely eaten and considered an exotic delicacy. The spoof documentary (we would call it a mockumentary today) explained how each noodle always grew to the same length. Many did not realize this was a hoax and asked where they could buy their own spaghetti tree. This is believed to be the first time television was used to stage an April Fool’s Day joke.

Quotes

“The most overrated tool: a pasta maker. Why make it when you can buy it? It’s a lot of work!” Ina Garten

“I’d much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size O.” Sophia Loren

“In heaven, after antipasti, the first course will be pasta.” Steve Albini