Help! Need Good Pasta

[Dawnsister]

Ok, it's my first week gluten free. My first pasta was a failure. I'm half sicilian, I grew up on pasta every week. If I go more than two or three weeks with out spaghetti and sauce then I start to CRAVE it. So last night we had spaghetti and meatballs and I used corn pasta. Ew. It smelled like a corn tortilla as I drained it, that wasn't so bad. I figured, ok, I'll wait and see what it's like with sauce on it.

Yeah. No. I ate some of it and then ditched the rest of it. Any help and insight into the world of Gluten free pasta is desperately needed and appreciated or I will go insane.

Shelley

[happygirl]

Tinkyada, a rice based pasta.

www.tinkyada.com but you can find it in many grocery stores.

[wolfie]

Another vote for Tinkyada. I have served it many times to friends and family who aren't gluten-free and no one has known any different.

Another good one is Bi-Aglut. I can only find it occasionally at our local health food store and it is extremely $$$. It is even better than real pasta IMO, but for as good as the Tinkyada is, I can't justify the $$ for the Bi-Aglut.

[blueeyedmanda]

I too vote for Tinkyada!!! Yum!

[CarlaB]

Tinkyada!! You will find that it even holds up better than semolina in recipes that require baking.

[jkmunchkin]

I use Tinkyada most of the time, but if I want REALLY good pasta, as someone else mentioned, I get

Bi-Aglut. I have yet to find it in a store by me (I've asked a few to carry it, but so far no luck). You can order it on the internet.

[Samanthasmomma]

I use Mrs Leepers pasta, they have rice or corn speggetti, and i also use their elbow macaroni.

[confusedks]

Nobody has mentioned Trader Joe's brand brown rice pasta. I love it and can't tell a difference. I haven't tried Tinkyada so I don't have much to compare it to.

Kassandra

[Cherry Tart]

I'm from an Italian family, so I feel your pain! I agree w/ the group Tinkyada and Trader Joe's Brown rice pasta are great (stick with the penne, the other varieties don't hold their shape as well). Stay away from the corn based pasta!

[floridanative]

The very best pasta to me is Bi-Aglut but I hate paying frt. for food so I avoid it when possible. I use Bionaturae but it contains soy flour. I think it tastes the best for the money in the gluten-free market. Dr. Schar is also excellent but another one that I can only find online. All three of these are actually made in Italy as far as I know. When WF puts the pasta on sale is $1.79 a bag and I get about 10 bags. If you find it make sure to get the red label gluten-free stuff - they make wheat pasta as well but not on the same lines. They are considering making lasagne noodles but don't have the equiptment for it presently. They only make wheat lasagne noodles now. I think I read that Bi-Aglut is the number one selling gluten-free pasta in Europe.

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

Tinkyada vote here...

[missy'smom]

Trader Joe's brown rice penne and Orgran spirals are my staples.

[SunnyDyRain]

tinkyada again! I also use another brand for spaghetti Deboles(It comes in a smaller box then the tinkyyada, and there are only two of us, so the smaller box is more convient). That's good too.

A note on rice pasta, I've found you need to use alot more water for it than wheat pasta, and you really need to rinse it after cooking and before adding sauce. It's much more starchier.

I recommend Classico Sauces if you are not going to make some from scratch. They are gluten-free and have some amazing sauces.

[Karen B.]

Definitely Tinkyada, my co-workers can't tell the difference. The corn pasta fell apart on me and it tasted more like an enchilada cassarole than Italian. DeBoles came out gummy for me but judging by a previous comment, maybe I didn't give it enough water. I like the taste of the Ancient Harvest Quinoa pasta but I'd never mistake it for regular pasta.

Also, if you miss a good egg noodle type of pasta, try Glutano Tagliatelle. It tastes like normal egg noodles, fine, silky, smooth texture and it holds up well.

[kbabe1968]

Another vote for Tinkyada - or Trader Joes.

Our Trader Joes is too far away, so I don't get it often - it's definitely cost effective $1.99/lb.

Our local grocery store carries Tinkyada in quite a few different varieties, so I buy that most. My kids can't tell the difference (of course, we were whole wheat pasta eaters prior to going gluten free so they are used to brown pasta). I've made alfredos, mac n' cheese, lasagna, baked rigitoni, all sorts of stuff and been major success every time!!!

GOOD LUCK!

[Guhlia]

TINKYADA, TINKYADA, TINKYADA!!! I've tried Bi-Aglut, Deboles, bionaturae, Ancient Harvest Quinoa, and some other weird brands and I didn't like any as much as the Tinkyada. Plus, they make lasagna noodles, large shells, macaroni, penne, spinach flavored, spaghetti, and much more. I love the selection!

[Darn210]

Count me in for Tinkyada. Wide variety of noodle "styles". Doesn't fall apart. And that's one of the meals that the whole family will eat gluten-free and I don't have to make two separate meals.

[Samanthasmomma]

tinkyada again! I also use another brand for spaghetti Deboles(It comes in a smaller box then the tinkyyada, and there are only two of us, so the smaller box is more convient). That's good too.

A note on rice pasta, I've found you need to use alot more water for it than wheat pasta, and you really need to rinse it after cooking and before adding sauce. It's much more starchier.

I recommend Classico Sauces if you are not going to make some from scratch. They are gluten-free and have some amazing sauces.

I vote for the Classico Sauces as well, Paul Newman sauce is also good.

[kevsmom]

Shelley,

Welcome to the board. I vote for Tinkyada too! You need to pay attention to how long you cook it - taste test often . Also, your old colander has all kinds of gluten stuck in the little holes, no matter how well you wash it - you may want to get a new one.

Cindy

[Juliebove]

My husband is Italian and he eats the Tinkyada. Doesn't even seem to notice the difference. I happen to like corn pasta for certain things. But then I think I have odd tastes.

[mouth]

Ok, it's my first week gluten free. My first pasta was a failure. I'm half sicilian, I grew up on pasta every week. If I go more than two or three weeks with out spaghetti and sauce then I start to CRAVE it. So last night we had spaghetti and meatballs and I used corn pasta. Ew. It smelled like a corn tortilla as I drained it, that wasn't so bad. I figured, ok, I'll wait and see what it's like with sauce on it.

Yeah. No. I ate some of it and then ditched the rest of it. Any help and insight into the world of Gluten free pasta is desperately needed and appreciated or I will go insane.

Shelley

TINKYDAYA all the way. Its the only one my daughter will eat. It will not get mushy. Al Dente all the way gl

lynn