Foolproof gluten free pasta hack — Cancer Kitchen Boss Lifestyle Inspiration and Recipes (2024)

It’s summer and we are sheltering at home in Los Angeles. One bright side of this quarantine is that people have found a renewed interest in home hobbies like gardening. I benefited from visiting a friend’s garden mid-town and going home with a heavy bag full of fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes are in season and these golden grape tomatoes are exquisite. Like candy!

Foolproof gluten free pasta hack — Cancer Kitchen Boss Lifestyle Inspiration and Recipes (2)


After I scored these beautiful little tomatoes and basil I decided to make a pasta a la checca for lunch. But since I was diagnosed with cancer last year, I’ve pretty much cut gluten out of my diet and have stuck with it even after I finished treatment. It’s part of my dietary strategy to keep cancer from returning.

I love pasta but I would usually feel bloated and uncomfortable after eating it anyway due to the gluten in the wheat, so it’s not a huge sacrifice to switch to gluten free pasta made from a whole grain. I’ve tried so many different GF pastas, fancy ones, cheap ones, and I keep returning back to the only one I like — Trader Joe’s organic brown rice penne.

Foolproof gluten free pasta hack — Cancer Kitchen Boss Lifestyle Inspiration and Recipes (3)

If cooked properly, it turns out perfectly al dente and is even good cold in a pasta salad. Gluten-free pasta in general is tricky and one minute overcooked will produce a mushy pasta that splits and falls apart. The trick? Don’t follow the directions on the package! Gluten free pasta will be most successful if you steam/boil it — keeping the lid on and turning heat down so it’s still boiling but not overflowing. Liberally salt the cooking water and when it boils, add pasta and put lid on.

Check to see when it returns to a boil and lower heat. I cook mine in a Dutch oven, which holds heat very well, so I boil the pasta on low. For a less heavy pot try medium-low heat. Set timer for the lowest number of the time range given on package. In the case of this TJ’s pasta I check it at 7 minutes. I gave it another 30 seconds or so, then drained, rinsed briefly and tossed with a little olive oil.

I tossed the cooked, hot pasta with about 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh basil, then added freshly ground pepper and a pinch of Himilayan sea salt. I wish I’d had pine nuts on hand — toasted pine nuts would be a wonderful topping for this quick easy dish.

I hope you enjoy this no recipe recipe. I certainly did!

Foolproof gluten free pasta hack — Cancer Kitchen Boss Lifestyle Inspiration and Recipes (4)

Foolproof gluten free pasta hack — Cancer Kitchen Boss Lifestyle Inspiration and Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is there a trick to cooking gluten-free pasta? ›

Once you've added the pasta to the pot of boiling water, stir every 30 seconds for the first five minutes of cooking to move the olive oil around and keep the pasta loose. Gluten-free pasta requires more stirring in the initial cooking stage than regular pasta so that it doesn't (surprise!) stick together.

Which gluten-free pasta is the healthiest? ›

Whole-Wheat Pasta

Also called whole-grain pasta, this type of pasta keeps the bran, endosperm, and germ of the grain together. It's filled with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This helps you feel full longer and keeps your blood sugar from spiking. It also has a little over 8 grams of protein per cup cooked.

How to make gluten-free pasta taste good? ›

Don't forget to salt the water.

On its own, gluten-free pasta is really pretty tasteless. It needs seasoning, in the form of salt, just like regular pasta. After the water comes to a boil, add enough salt to make the water taste like the ocean (about 1/4 cup for a large pot of water), before adding the pasta.

What spaghetti sauce is gluten-free? ›

Barilla. All seven Barilla tomato-based sauces are considered gluten-free (to less than 20 parts per million). Flavors include Marinara, Fire-Roasted Marinara, Parmesan & Pecorino, Tomato & Basil, Savory Herb, Roasted Garlic, and Traditional.

Should you rinse gluten-free pasta before cooking? ›

Gluten free pasta tends to absorb more sauce than normal pasta. This means you might need to add more water to the sauce as you mix it through the pasta. Don't rinse your pasta.

What gluten-free pasta is closest to regular pasta? ›

Pros: Rummo behaves the most like non-gluten-free pasta. It doesn't get gummy or fall apart. The taste is most similar to non-gluten-free pasta. Rummo comes in a wide variety of shapes including: elbows, gnocchi, stelline and fusilli.

Is gluten-free pasta good for gut? ›

“People with Celiac disease need to eliminate all gluten-containing products from their diet, but we're seeing that a gluten-free diet and gluten-free products can actually help people who have various digestive concerns as well, including people who have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or even Crohn's or colitis, which ...

Is gluten-free pasta a bad carb? ›

Gluten-free pasta offers the ease and taste of a pasta-based meal without gluten. It still contains significant carbs, though, so read labels carefully, follow suggested serving sizes, and avoid making this a daily diet staple.

How do you keep gluten-free pasta from getting mushy? ›

The usual rationale for the addition of olive oil to the pasta water is that it helps prevent the noodles from sticking together. While that technique doesn't work as well for glutinous pasta as maintaining a rolling boil, it actually does help with the gluten-free variety — as it tends towards mushiness.

Is chickpea pasta gluten-free? ›

You can eat chickpea pasta in place of any wheat-based pasta. It can be served warm or cold, as in a pasta salad. Chickpea pasta is made from chickpea flour and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Most varieties are gluten-free, making them suitable for people with gluten-related disorders.

Why is my gluten-free pasta chewy? ›

Not all gluten-free pastas taste like pasta — the high-protein ones absolutely do not — and many have a mushy or grainy texture, negating the joy of eating pasta. To counteract the texture problems, some brands make their pasta thicker, which gives the noodles a chewy texture (also not great).

Does oatmeal have gluten? ›

Yes, pure, uncontaminated oats are gluten-free. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration considers oats a gluten-free grain under its gluten-free labeling regulations and only requires that packaged products with oats as an ingredient contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten overall.

Is orzo gluten-free? ›

No, all Orzo is not gluten-free. Traditional Orzo pasta is made with durum wheat semolina. Durum wheat is not gluten-free. Gluten-free Orzo should have a certified gluten-free seal on the label.

Is sourdough gluten-free? ›

Sourdough is not gluten free, but we know that many people with IBS, gluten intolerance, or gluten sensitivity can tolerate sourdough bread. This is because the methods used to make sourdough break down some of the gluten in the flour so it is easier to digest. Think of sourdough as low-gluten rather than gluten-free.

How do you keep gluten-free pasta from sticking when cooking? ›

Because of the starch, gluten-free pasta noodles tend to cling together. Add a glug of olive oil to the water and make sure to run a spoon through it to redistribute every 30 seconds during the first few minutes of cooking. Once the pasta has begun to plump you don't have to worry about it as much.

Does gluten-free pasta cook differently than regular pasta? ›

This couldn't be further from the truth! Gluten free pasta can be cooked just as easily as wheat pasta. Thanks to our unique blend of corn and rice, there's no risk of mushy pasta. The only difference is that the whole grain rice pasta may take a bit longer to cook as the grain must be broken down.

How do you keep gluten-free pasta from boiling over? ›

According to Sarah Schmalbruch's INSIDER article Here's the Real Reason You're Adding Olive Oil to Boil Pasta – And It's Not Sticky Noodles, the real reason to add olive oil is to prevent the pasta water from boiling over the pot itself rather than to prevent noodles from sticking.

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