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With so many gluten-free pasta brands on the market today, how do you know which gluten-free pasta is best?The Answer: A lot of trial and error over the last 11 years with celiac disease. This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure page for more information. Thanks!
Thankfully, over the last decade, gluten-free pasta brands have improved dramatically. Other gluten-free grains, such as quinoa, red lentil, and even chickpea are now used and blended for delicious gluten-free pasta. And now, I'm happy to report I love eating pasta once more! So which brands of gluten-free are the best? And how to they compare? That's the tricky question! In this post, I'm going to share a little about how gluten-free pasta is made, where to buy it, and some of the top brands on the market today. It's important before I begin this list to remind you that my taste buds are not your tastebuds. I'm going to share my honest opinions here about each brand. And if you disagree, that's okay! I'm sharing this list to help you make the most informed decisions in your weekly food shopping. I want to save you from buying products you end up hating and ensure you can replicate all of your favorite pasta dishes gluten-free, and lead you towards brands that are safe. Here are eight of the most popular dried gluten-free pasta on the market today and how they compare: their ingredients, their gluten-free status (if they are certified GF or not), and their overall taste/texture. I've tried every pasta brand listed here on multiple occasions. Let's take a look at these gluten-free pastas! Gluten-Free Pasta Brand ComparisonsFor this list, please note I'm only looking at dried pasta, not fresh pasta. I'm working on making my own gluten-free pasta from scratch, but until then, I love Trader Joe's Gluten-Free Egg Fettuccine.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, dietician, or medical professional. Always read labels and double check your products before consuming. While many people can digest gluten-free certified products, some cannot. Everyone's celiac disease is different, so only do what is best for your health! Gluten-Free Pasta: What's It Made Of?If there's no wheat flour to make pasta, what do they use? While years ago gluten-free pasta was usually made from only brown rice or corn, a lot has changed in the last decade. Many different gluten-free grains are now used for pasta, including: Corn White Rice Brown Rice Quinoa Lentils Almond Cauliflower Buckwheat Amaranth Millet Black Bean Chickpeas They might also include other starches or thickeners, like pea protein or potato starch. Sometimes gluten-free pasta will be made entirely of one grain, such as brown rice, white rice, or corn. However, most pasta brands on the market today are a blend of a variety of gluten-free grains. Gluten-Free Pasta Shapes If you are new to the gluten-free diet, you may find the lack of shapes a little disappointing. While most brands of regular pasta can be found in a variety of shapes and styles, you won't always find the same with gluten-free pasta. Most gluten-free pasta will be in popular shapes, like penne, fusilli, elbows, and spaghetti. A few brands offer other shapes, including lasagna and tagliatelle, like Jovial, Ancient Harvest, and Banza. More shapes keep popping up - so keep your eyes open! A word of caution: if you are new to trying gluten-free pasta, stick to a shape like penne or fusilli to start. Once you add sauce, butter, pesto, olive oil, or maybe parmesan cheese, it's hard to note a difference. But if your first experience trying gluten-free pasta is with spaghetti, and you expect it to taste as soft as regular spaghetti, you might be disappointed. The texture may be an adjustment. The first few times I tried gluten-free pasta, I didn't like it. Where To Buy Gluten-Free Pasta Supermarkets In supermarkets and supermarket chains, there are three possible locations for gluten-free pasta. 1st location: in the pasta aisle Gluten-free pasta brands can be found next to the regular pasta, in the aisle with most pasta and tomato sauces. Make sure you double-check that you are buying the gluten-free version, as some packages look very similar. 2nd location: in the gluten-free aisle Some grocery stores will have dedicated aisles to gluten-free products. Sometimes they are also in the same aisle with organic products or even the baking section. 3rd location: with the mac and cheese! In a handful of grocery stores, I've actually found gluten-free pasta brands in the macaroni and cheese section or soup section, which can be in a different aisle than the regular pasta. Confusing, right? Always be sure to check these three spots for gluten-free pasta. *Fun Fact: My first job was a cashier/bagger at Publix in high school. One of my favorite responsibilities (besides working the cash register) was to return the items customers would decide not to buy at the last minute. It's why I know grocery store layouts well!
Thrive ships your favorite gluten-free brands and products right to your door for less than your local supermarket, and even beats Amazon in price! Thrive takes 25-50% off retail prices on 6,000+ organic, non-GMO, and sustainable products ranging from food, freezer meals, pantry staples, supplements, and beauty supplies. Here's a side by side comparison of price with Banza. On Amazon, it costs $14.99 for 3 boxes of Banza pasta , or $5 a box. On Thrive Market, it costs only $10.49 for 3 boxes of Banza pasta, or $3.49 a box! At $1.50 cheaper, that adds up! Thrive Market memberships are only $60/year, which is half the cost of an Amazon prime membership. With hundreds of brands available, plus plenty of gluten-free pasta like Banza, Schar, and Jovial, you can enjoy your favorite pasta for less. And shipping is always free on orders over $49. If you are having trouble finding your favorite gluten-free pasta in the supermarket, Thrive is the way to go! Choose a FREE gift, up to $24 value, when you purchase a Thrive Market membership! (1 year and 1 month memberships available)) Here is a breakdown of eight of the most popular gluten-free pasta brands on the market today. You can find these brands at your local grocery stores, or online through Amazon/Thrive Market. Gluten-Free Pasta Brands Barilla Barilla makes two types of gluten-free pasta. One is a blend of corn and rice, and the others are made of either red lentils or chickpeas. If you are looking for a pasta that resembles regular pasta, Barilla's corn and rice blend is one of my top choices. The combination of corn and rice has a similar texture and tenderness to regular pasta. Once you add your sauce, you can't tell much of a difference at all. It does not get slimy or a weird texture but does harden quickly. The red lentil pasta has a more firm texture, as does the chickpea pasta. All Barilla gluten-free pastas are certified gluten-free and produced in a dedicated gluten-free facility. Pasta Shapes Available Corn & Rice Blend: Spaghetti, Rotini, Elbows, Penne, Lasagna, Fettuccine Chickpea or Red Lentil: Penne, Rotini, Casarecce You can buy Barilla gluten-free pasta at your local grocery store (I find it at Stop & Shop, Market Basket, Wegman's, and Whole Foods) or online through Amazon. Buy Barilla gluten-free pasta on Amazon - Pack of 8 for $15.92 Ronzoni Ronzoni makes a corn, quinoa, and rice blend of gluten-free pasta. It's another one of my top choices for a dried pasta that tastes similar to regular pasta in texture and taste. It does not have a slimy or weird texture, but like Barilla, can harden quickly. They also make a cauliflower pasta too! All Ronzoni gluten-free pastas are certified gluten-free and produced in a dedicated gluten-free facility. Pasta Shapes Available Rotini, Spaghetti, Thin Spaghetti, Penne Rigati, Elbows You can buy Ronzoni gluten-free pasta at your local grocery store (I find it at Stop & Shop, Market Basket, Wegman's, and Whole Foods) or online through Amazon. Buy Ronzoni gluten-free pasta on Amazon. Jovial Jovial is a 100% brown rice gluten-free pasta brand made right in Italy! Their pasta has the most variety in shapes and has quickly become one of my favorite dried pasta brands. When I was first diagnosed with celiac disease, I found a lot of rice pasta to be extremely slimy and the texture was not great. However, Jovial's texture doesn't do that. Perhaps is the manufacturing process and how they use bronze dies to make their pasta shapes. Whatever they are doing in Lucca, Italy, it's working! All Jovial gluten-free pastas are certified gluten-free and produced in a dedicated gluten-free facility. Jovial comes in multiple shapes, and each one is wonderful! Jovial definitely has the most amount of options. Check out their full list of shapes here, and be wowed by the farfalle, fettuccine, tagliatelle, manicotti, and lasagna. You can find Jovial pastas at Whole Foods and Amazon, or through Thrive Market, for less! Buy Pack of 3 on Amazon for $14.70 ($4.90 per box) Buy Pack of 3 on Thrive Market for $10.47 ($3.49 per box) Banza Banza is my favorite non-rice and non-corn gluten-free pasta. Made from chickpeas, it's got a light taste but the texture can be slimy if not prepared properly. Be sure to stir Banza often, rinse the pasta when finished, and top with sauce immediately. This is a pasta where I only buy small shapes, such as rotini or penne, but not spaghetti. Banza is much more protein-rich than corn or rice based gluten-free pasta. It's also vegan! Banza's variety of pasta shapes are real crowd pleasers, especially for children! They have wheels, alphabet shapes, shells, and even rigatoni. Get the full list of all of their shapes here. Banza also makes macaroni and cheese, vegan macaroni and cheese, and chickpea rice, which is a great substitute for orzo. All Banza pasta is certified gluten-free and produced in a dedicated gluten-free facility. Banza is available at your local grocery store (I find it in Market Basket, Stop & Shop, Wegman's) as well as online through Amazon and Thrive Market. Get a 3 pack of Banza for $14.99, or $5 a box on Amazon. Get a 3 pack of Banza pasta for $10, or $3.49 a box on Thrive Market.
The Schar company is based in Europe, and the products they make overseas are even better than the ones we have here in the States! They have become a global brand serving gluten-free eaters and celiacs across the world. All of Schar's products are certified gluten-free and produced in a dedicated gluten-free facility. But Schar goes a step further to test their products themselves to less than 5 PPM of gluten, a level much lower than the requirement of the FDA. Schar takes testing seriously, which is awesome. You can find Schar's gluten-free pastas in your local grocery store (I've found them at Stop & Shop, Wegman's and Whole Foods) or online through Amazon. Buy Schar pasta on Amazon - Pack of 5 for $17.90 Ancient Harvest Ancient Harvest gluten-free pasta is a blend of corn, brown rice, and quinoa. They also have a second line of gluten-free pasta called their "Veggie pasta", which is made of green lentils, tapioca starch, kale, spinach, and cauliflower. Ancient Harvest's pastas are thicker in texture, and not as light as a corn/rice blend like Schar, Barilla, and Ronzoni, but still tastes okay to me. It's not my favorite gluten-free pasta, but I've been pleased with the results when cooking at home. If it's on sale, I'll buy it! Ancient Harvest gluten-free pasta comes in many different shapes: spaghetti, penne, rotini, elbows, linguini, shells, and even veggie curls and pagodas. All Ancient Harvest gluten-free pastas are ceritifed gluten-free. Their pastas are made in a facility without wheat. Ancient Harvest does however manufacture other products where wheat may be present in the facility, but products have dedicated lines. See their full allergen manufacturing disclosure here. Ancient Harvest gluten-free pasta can be bought at your local grocery store (I find it at Stop & Shop, Market Basket, Wegman's, and Whole Foods) or online through Amazon. Buy Ancient Harvest on Amazon for $3.15 a box Bionaturae Bionaturae is a gluten-free pasta blend of rice and lentils. This recipe is very new, as their previous gluten-free pasta was made of rice flour, potato starch, rice starch, and soy flour. Their new pasta as a result has a nice texture that doesn't have the gumminess of Banza, for example. And their pastas are also made in Italy, like Jovial, using Italian production methods! Bionaturae's pastas come in spaghetti, linguine, rigatoni, elbows, penne, and fusilli. All Bionaturae gluten-free pastas are certified gluten-free and made in a dedicated gluten-free facility. They are also certified organic, Non-GMO, and Kosher. You can buy Bionaturae gluten-free pastas at Whole Foods, Wegman's, or online through Amazon and Thrive Market. Buy Bionaturae pasta on Amazon (3 pack) for $14.99 Buy Bionaturae pasta on Thrive Market (3 pack) for $13.47
Whenever I bought Tinkyada and cooked it, it tasted slimy, and I just couldn't stomach it. It's why I gravitated toward Barilla and Ronzoni when they appeared on the market. With the addition of corn, it solidified the texture a bit, making it taste better. Now, I might be willing to give Tinkyada another try. Jovial's brown rice pasta is so fantastic, that perhaps I misjudged Tinkyada in the beginning. What do you think? Leave me a comment if you're a fan of Tinkyada! Tinkyada is a brown rice flour gluten-free pasta that's manufactured in Canada. They are also certified organic, vegan, and kosher. All Tinkyada pastas are made in a dedicated wheat free facility. Please note it does not carry the "Certified Gluten Free" labeling as that is only used by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Find Tinkayda in your local grocery store, but make sure to look on the bottom shelves, as they are in bags, not boxes. I find Tinkyada at Stop & Shop, Market Basket, and Whole Foods, or online through Amazon and Thrive Market. Buy a pack of 3 on Amazon for $14.98. Buy a pack of 3 on Thrive Market for $11.37 Other Pasta Brands To Consider These are not the only gluten-free brands on the market! More brands appear every year and there are others to be aware of. Le Veneziano and Pastene are Italian gluten-free pasta brands, which you can find at specialty stores and imported grocery stores. I find them at Salumeria Italiana in the North End of Boston, and Pastene in my local grocery store. Read more about North End finds in this celiac travel guide to Boston proper. I'd also suggest checking out Aldi's line of gluten-free pasta. While I don't have an Aldi closeby, I've heard nothing but wonderful things about their gluten-free products (and CHEAP prices!) and have tried a few myself! If you have tried Aldi's gluten-free pasta, please leave a comment below. And don't forget Trader Joe's! Trader Joe's has its own line of gluten-free dried pasta made with quinoa and brown rice, which are very tasty! They also have black bean pasta, but I haven't tried that.. (I don't like beans - as seen in this no bean chili recipe!) However, I do prefer their fresh egg fettuccine instead. They also make a delicious rice-based gluten-free macaroni and cheese. If you are curious about great gluten-free frozen pastas: I swear by Nantucket Pasta Goddess and Conte's for gluten-free cheese ravioli. Both brands are delicious, just handle with care as they can break easily. Top with butter or sauce!
Salt the pasta water. Always salt your water for better flavor! It definitely makes a difference.
Rinse if needed. Some gluten-free pasta brands, like Banza, will say to rinse the pasta before serving. Make sure to follow the instructions because it will make a big impact on taste and texture. Follow times exactly. Gluten-free pasta times can vary, depending on the brand and the gluten-free grains. Always follow the times listed on the box, and test a sample piece of pasta to be sure, before draining everything. Oil or butter to prevent sticking. As soon as you drain your pasta, add some butter or oil and stir to prevent sticking. It can stick quickly! Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Don't leave cooked pasta out for too long, as it will dry and harden. Move it to the refrigerator when not eating, and keep covered. *Cross-contamination* Be careful when cooking gluten-free pasta if your kitchen is not a dedicated gluten-free kitchen. Use separate pasta pots, colanders, wooden spoons, and strainers. Wood and strainers are hotspots for gluten, so be careful. Keep a dedicated set for yourself that you wash with a gluten-free sponge, to be safe. For more information about preventing cross-contamination in the kitchen, check out this infographic from BeyondCeliac that highlights possible hotspots in the home. Final Thoughts & Recipes Do you have a favorite gluten-free pasta brand from this list? Please leave a comment below with the pasta brand that is your favorite for gluten-free! I'd love to learn about other brands I may have missed. If you are interested in another gluten-free pasta brand comparison, let me know in the comments what I should compare next! Looking for gluten-free pasta recipes? Take a look at these yummy pasta dishes right here, featuring some of the brands mentioned in this post!
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