If you are a lover of pasta but you have recently been diagnosed with coeliac disease, you’ll wonder how you are going to get by without your favourite food. When you change your lifestyle to a gluten free diet, there are quite a few things that you will have to remove. Most traditional pasta is made using gluten containing grains, so you must be very careful choosing which pasta to eat (or make) in the future once you are diagnosed with coeliac disease. This is a guide to gluten free pasta for those who have been diagnosed with coeliac disease and want to continue eating pasta.
Is traditional pasta gluten free?
Pasta is one of the main staple food groups the world over, and is traditionally made from wheat flour, eggs, olive oil and salt. The mixture that this makes is then rolled out and is cut into the desired shape (of which there are countless to choose from) using either a specialist machine or cutting the pasta by hand. Due to it containing wheat flour, traditional pasta is not gluten free, however, there are many different types of gluten free pasta that you can find in the supermarket or make at home in your own kitchen. You can find gluten free pasta that is made from rice, beans, corn, quinoa, and a variety of gluten free flour blends.
What are the different types of gluten free pasta?
There are a few different types of gluten free pasta on the market today, each with its own characteristics. Try out a few different types of gluten free pasta and you’ll quickly discover which is your preferred choice and what works best with difference recipes.
- Rice pasta is made with either brown or white rice, but brown rice is more robust, with great flavour absorption and a good base to add flavour and spice.
- Quinoa pasta is another type of gluten free pasta that offers a great texture and flavour profile. As a complete protein, quinoa is also a super food and is the healthiest of your gluten free pasta choices.
- Buckwheat pasta is a popular type of pasta in Japan where they are the basis of delicious soba noodles, so it isn’t just for those seeking gluten free options but is a tasty option in its own right.
- Corn pasta has a mild flavour and is the perfect accompaniment when pairing with lighter sauces, and it has a similar texture to what you would expect with traditional flour. Corn pasta is best when made into smaller shapes to help limit it breaking apart when boiling.
- Bean pasta offers a comforting home cooked meal. It is high in fibres and healthy proteins and comes in non-traditional colours so that you can have some fun with colours.
- Blended gluten free flour takes a few different blends of flour and starches, with a few different blends available on the market, helping you with a variety of pasta recipes to match different flavours, in the same way that you would with traditional
Make the most of a gluten free prescription
If you qualify for a gluten free prescription, one of the products that you are entitled to in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is gluten free pasta. You can get your fix of your favourite pasta shapes, spaghetti, fusilli, and penne, all gluten free.
It is no longer the end of the world for a pasta aficionado to be diagnosed with coeliac disease. There are gluten free foods, including pasta in most supermarkets, and if you are lucky enough to qualify for a gluten free prescription you might be entitled to gluten free pasta, helping you to make those beautiful pasta dishes that you love without worrying about gluten being present in the pasta. You can see that there are a few gluten free pasta options out there, making it much easier than ever before to eat pasta when you are coeliac.
