For many people with coeliac symptoms who have begun changing their diet to remove foods containing gluten, pasta is one of the biggest changes. If you love pasta but need to follow a gluten-free diet, you might be worried about what you can do to replace pasta in your diet and strictly follow a gluten-free diet. Luckily, there are some incredible gluten-free pasta recipes and products on the market today, made from quinoa, corn, rice, and other ingredients. If you are used to cooking pasta, you’ll no doubt have that internal clock and have a fair idea of how long to cook it for, what it should look and feel like when ready to eat. With gluten-free pasta, you might not be as confident at first. 

Types of gluten-free pasta include:

  • Brown rice pasta
  • Quinoa
  • Chickpea pasta
  • Buckwheat pasta
  • Multigrain pasta
  • Corn pasta
  • Red lentil pasta

Reasons to choose gluten-free pasta

The ingredients used to make gluten-free pasta are chosen for textural reasons and taste. With quality ingredients and good cooking, you can create your favourite pasta dishes with the same flavour with traditional pasta that contains gluten. It is all about packing as much flavour as possible into all the ingredients. The best thing is that by choosing gluten-free pasta, you don’t have to worry about gluten intolerance and the coeliac symptoms you have suffered with previously. 

In terms of protein and nutrient content, some of the grains used to create gluten-free pasta provide a great source of amino acids, and are helpful to keeping your muscles, skin, and bones healthy, and if you choose a whole grain pasta there will be greater nutritional content.

Tips for cooking gluten-free pasta

Cooking gluten-free pasta can be slightly different. Every type of gluten-free pasta will have different cooking times, so always be sure to check the cooking instructions prior to cooking and this will help you get your timings right. There are a few things that you can do though to ensure your pasta is cooked through and ready to use as part of an overall delicious pasta dish. 

  • Always cook pasta in the largest saucepan you have access to, adding pasta to boiling, salted water.
  • Leave the pasta to boil uncovered during cooking.
  • A good tip is to add your sauce to the cooked pasta and stir it through before serving. This also keeps the pasta warm whilst you prepare other things for the dish.
  • If the pasta is stuck together, this could be that the water was not boiling when the pasta was added to the pan, or the pasta wasn’t stirred. 
  • If the water is cloudy this could be because the saucepan is too small, you’ve overcooked the pasta or there was not enough water.
  • Slimy pasta could be caused by overcooked pasta or insufficient cooking water.
  • Hard pasta just requires a longer cooking time. 

Gluten free pasta and other gluten free products are available on prescription to patients with coeliac disease, with pasta in particular available in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Knowing that there are many great gluten-free recipes around to try out and help with gluten-free products on prescription in some cases, makes it much easier to cut gluten out from your diet when you have been diagnosed coeliac.