I think that pasta is loved by most of the Irish population. It’s not only tasty and handy but has become a staple almost quivalent to the potato in many Irish homes. So it comes as no surprise how a wheat and/or gluten food allergy can leave a void in your day-to-day dietary life. The good news is that there are a variety of food allergy friendly pastas available on the market. The bad news is that they aren’t all amazing and can be quite pricey compared to their wheaty cousins (averaging at about €3+ per 250g, and no, they do not generally expand like conventional pasta)… However, cravings need to be fed and it’s important to hit the correct spot.
When cooking wheat free and gluten free pastas it is important to follow the directions on the package closely as some varieties cannot withstand traditional methods and can deteriorate quickly with over cooking. Please note that the pastas reviewed below are just a cross-section of what is most commonly available on the Irish market. Wheat and Gluten free pastas are available in most health food stores and some gourmet grocers. It is also handy to note that Tesco have developed their own range which can be obtained if you are in a crunch and don’t despair over the pasta shapes as lasagna, penne and spaghetti shapes are increasingly available to meet all of your pasta preferences!
Orgran Rice & Millet Pasta Spirals
Rice & Millet is my first choice for wheat & gluten free pasta
substitutes. Millet is one of the ‘gem’ flours for adding quality all
around to wheat free and gluten free products. Organ Rice & Millet
pasta spirals have the lightness of white pasta with the nutrition of
wholewheat varieties. In fact, they taste so great that my family have
been frequently known to eat them with just a bit of oil, salt and
pepper as a warm snack. The texture is supple and the taste is hearty.
A good tip for cooking them is to rinse them in the colander with
boiling water after they are fully cooked to remove the ‘glutinous’
coating which can arise after boiling.
-Gluten Free
-Wheat Free
-Egg Free
-Soy Free
-Dairy Free
-Corn Free
-Vegetarian
-Vegan
Doves Farm Organic Pasta (from brown rice)
If I was going to make a second choice it would be 100% rice pastas.
Unlike buckwheat the texture never gets overly rubbery and the
flavour, although very good can sometimes lack a certain hearty je ne
sais quoi which the millet can amend.
-Gluten Free
-Wheat Free
-Egg Free
-Soy Free
-Dairy Free
-Corn Free
-Vegetarian
-Vegan
Orgran Buckwheat Pasta
Buckwheat is a nutritious food with many attributes. It is also a
popular wheat substitute. Indeed, it almost seems like the natural
substitute (the name perhaps?) but despite its whole-food hearty
flavor the texture is just too ‘rubbery’ to ever be an ideal pasta
replacement.
-Gluten Free
-Wheat Free
-Egg Free
-Soy Free
-Dairy Free
-Corn Free
-Vegetarian
-Vegan
Orgran Vegetable Rice Pasta Spirals
Very similar to the 100% rice pasta Vegetable spirals can add a splash
of colour/excitement to an average meal without losing any quality. It
tastes almost the same as the other rice blends while offering another
option to the list of substitutes.
-Gluten Free
-Wheat Free
-Egg Free
-Soy Free
-Dairy Free
-Corn Free
-Vegetarian
-Vegan
Orgran Corn Pasta Spirals
Corn pasta is available in most of the other popular shapes but the
general outcome is a bit too mealy to be an ideal substitute. The key
to corn pastas is to cook them for exactly the recommended time – to
the dot. It can be a bit troublesome and both over and under cooking
can seriously jeopardize the texture and taste. On the plus side 100%
corn pasta generally takes only half of the cooking time compared to
the other substitutes.
-Gluten Free
-Wheat Free
-Egg Free
-Soy Free
-Dairy Free
-Vegetarian
-Vegan
Biona Organic Spelt Fusilli
The most important thing to note about Spelt is that it is NOT a
gluten free option. Spelt is an ancient form of wheat and although it
is tolerated by many wheat free diets it is still a form of wheat and
definitely contains gluten. The brilliant thing about spelt however,
is that it has the natural attributes of modern wheat and is
therefore a wonderful substitute for those who can tolerate it.
-Wheat Free
-Egg Free
-Soy Free
-Dairy Free
-Corn Free
-Vegetarian
-Vegan
Hale & Hearty (Buckwheat, Corn & Rice)
Hale and Hearty are a new brand to me. As I was preparing for this log
I found them tucked away behind the other pastas at Nourish. The
package, the colour, and the unfamiliar flour blend all compelled me to
give them a go and I must say that they are not half bad. Although
there is still a slight rubbery texture (due to the buckwheat no doubt)
they do come up trumps on nutrition, taste and appearance. As is the
case with most wheat free and gluten free products, the more flours
that go into the blend the better the taste and texture of the final
outcome and Hale & Hearty have proved this under the category of
buckwheat pastas. Although more suitable for wholewheat pasta lovers
it is a good way to get the pluses of buckwheat without the
sacrifices.
-Gluten Free
-Wheat Free
-Egg Free
-Soy Free
-Dairy Free
-Vegetarian
-Vegan
PRODUCT INFORMATION:
Orgran Rice & Millet Pasta Spirals
Ingredients: Brown rice (94.5%), Stoneground Millet (5.5%)
Nutritional Information per 100g:
Energy 1478kJ/351kcal
Protein 7.0g
Carbohydrates 77.4g
of which sugars 1.6g
of which starch 75.8g
Fat 1.6g
of which saturates 0.0g
Dietary Fibre 4.8g
Sodium 0.01g
Gluten 0.0g
Doves Farm Organic Pasta (from brown rice)
Ingredients: 100% Organically grown brown rice
Nutritional Information per 100g:
Energy 1385kJ/338kcal
Protein 7.9g
Carbohydrates 70.3g
of which sugars 0.5g
Fat 1.5g
of which saturates trace
Dietary Fibre 4.1g
Sodium trace
Orgran Buckwheat Pasta Spirals
Ingredients: Stoneground buckwheat 90%, rice flour.
Nutritional Information per 100g:
Energy 1484kJ/352kcal
Protein 12.8g
Carbohydrates 73.6g
of which sugars 4.8g
of which starch 68g
Fat 1.6g
of which saturates 0.0g
Dietary Fibre 4.8g
Sodium 0.008g
Orgran Vegetable Rice Pasta Spirals
Ingredients: Brown rice (99%), vegetables (spinach, beetroot) (1%)
Nutritional Information per 100g:
Energy 1492kJ/353kcal
Protein 6.8g
Carbohydrates 79.1g
of which sugars 0.9g
of which starch 78.2g
Fat 1.7g
of which saturates 0.0g
Dietary Fibre 4.8g
Sodium 0.01g
Gluten 0.0g
Orgran Corn Pasta Spirals
Ingredients: Maize Meal (80%), rice.
Nutritional Information per 100g:
Energy 1403kJ/332kcal
Protein 7.7g
Carbohydrates 69.7g
of which sugars 0.4g
of which starch 69.3g
Fat 1.7g
of which saturates 0.2g
Dietary Fibre 3.2g
Sodium 0.01g
Gluten 0.0g
Hale & Hearty Pasta Spirals (Buckwheat, Corn & Rice)
Ingredients: Corn flour (60%), buckwheat flour (25%), rice flour (15%).
Nutritional Information per 100g:
Energy 1497kJ/353kcal
Protein 7.8g
Carbohydrates 75.4g
of which sugars 0.1g
Fat 2.2g
of which saturates 0.2g
monosaturates 0.6g
polysaturates 1.2g
Dietary Fibre 2.9g
Sodium 0.03g
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