11 Best Gluten-Free Pastas

Some of these are also grain- and corn-free

By Jane Anderson | Updated April 07, 2019

Gluten-free pasta comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. So it's possible to find the best product for almost any given situation. You can find grain-free varieties, allergen-free varieties, and flavored varieties. You can use them to make traditional Italian pasta dishes, Asian noodle dishes, cold pasta salads, or even hearty American macaroni and cheese.

How to Cook Gluten-Free Pasta

Al dente (the Italian phrase for "firm to the bite") always is best when you're dealing with gluten-free pasta. Don't ever overcook gluten-free pasta, as all brands will fall apart much more readily than gluten-containing pastas (gluten serves as a type of glue to hold foods together, and since gluten-free pasta lacks that glue, it's prone to falling apart).

You'll find you need to keep a close eye on the pasta cooking process.

Follow the instructions on your chosen gluten-free pasta brand exactly, erring on the side of less cooking time. For example, if the cooking instructions say "six to eight minutes," it's not too soon to check for doneness at five minutes' time.

If you get distracted and come back at nine minutes, you may find a pot of extremely mushy noodles, or worse.

In addition, some brands recommend rinsing the pasta immediately in cold water to "set" it and eliminate any slimy feeling. You also may want to experiment with adding a tablespoon of oil (olive oil is best) to your pasta water—some people say this will keep the water from boiling over and prevent the pasta from sticking together, although other chefs dispute the idea.

Brands vary in their cooking instructions, so always follow the package directions for best results... and of course, use gluten-free pasta sauce. And never, ever use the same water for gluten-free pasta and gluten-containing pasta.

Which Gluten-Free Pasta Is Best?

Consider different factors when deciding which gluten-free pasta to buy. Take into account your own personal needs and the recipe you plan to use.

For example, if you're sensitive to corn, you may require a pasta that's free of corn-based ingredients or additives. You may want a grain-free pasta, or a potato-free pasta if you're sensitive to nightshades. You may also want a pasta that's certified gluten-free (by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization—GFCO—or another certifying agency) or one that's produced in a gluten-free facility. You may want traditional spaghetti, or something more unusual.

The following guide lists our 11 favorite gluten-free pastas and explains who might be best-suited to each particular type. You'll also find cooking tips that apply to all these products, as gluten-free pasta is notoriously finicky to cook.

1

Banza Chickpea Pasta

banza gluten-free pasta box
Courtesy of Banza

Note: Certified gluten-free by GFCO.

Best for: Those seeking to limit carbs; those who want a grain-free pasta.

According to the company, this gluten-free vegan pasta is 90 percent chickpeas and is verified non-GMO. Other ingredients include tapioca, pea protein, and xanthan gum.

Banza, which is grain-free, is available in multiple shapes, including rotini, elbows, penne, linguine, and more. It's made in a facility that's free from peanuts, wheat, gluten, soybean, tree nuts, sesame, fish, crustacean shellfish, milk, eggs, celery, mustard, and food coloring.

Banza is a high-protein, high-fiber gluten-free pasta—a two-ounce serving contains a whopping 8 grams of fiber and 14 grams of protein, with a lower-than-average 32 grams of carbs. This makes it suitable for those seeking to moderate their intake of carbohydrates.

Banza pasta can be gummy, but careful cooking (avoiding overcooking) should help you alleviate that problem. Follow the recommended instructions on the box for the perfect result.

2

Ancient Harvest

Ancient Harvest Penne

Photo from Amazon

Note: Certified gluten-free by GFCO. Contains corn.

Best for: Those concerned about arsenic levels in rice; those seeking to boost their iron intake.

Ancient Harvest bills its quinoa-based pasta as an "organic supergrain pasta," even though quinoa technically isn't a grain—it's most closely related to spinach and to amaranth, another grain substitute. Ingredients include just organic corn flour and organic quinoa flour.

Ancient Harvest pasta comes in multiple shapes, including penne, elbows, linguine, spaghetti, rotini, shells, garden pagodas (which also contain spinach plus beet and/or red pepper), and veggie curls (which also contain spinach plus beet and/or red pepper).

Ancient Harvest describes its pasta as "hearty," and it is heavier than other gluten-free pasta options. One serving (two ounces) contains a moderate 4 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber, plus 10 percent of your daily iron requirement (quinoa is high in iron).

3

Barilla Gluten-Free Pasta

barilla gluten-free pasta
 Courtesy of Barilla

Note: Certified gluten-free by GFCO. Contains corn.

Best for: Those who need a gluten-free pasta that's readily available; those who can't eat nightshades. 

Barilla bills itself as "the number one gluten-free pasta brand," and indeed wins rave reviews from customers. It's made from non-GMO ingredients and is produced on a dedicated gluten-free line in Italy (as it turns out, Italy—the pasta capital of the world—is quite gluten-free-friendly, so Italians definitely do understand gluten-free pasta).

Barilla ingredients include just four items: corn flour, rice flour, mono- and diglycerides (common fat-based food additives used to stabilize and thicken mixtures). It comes in multiple shapes, including elbow, fettucini, oven-ready lasagne, penne, rotini, and spaghetti.

Tasters say Barilla pastas hold up when cooked and don't get mushy (just be careful not to overcook) and can pass for "regular" pasta, especially when sauced. Barilla gluten-free pasta is readily available on Amazon and in grocery stores.

4

BiAglut Gluten-Free Pasta

biaglut gluten-free pasta
 Courtesy of BiAglut

Note: Contains corn and lupin.

Best for: Those who want unusual pasta shapes (such as stelline soup pasta and tagliatelle wide noodles); those who want an authentic Italian gluten-free pasta.

This pasta is made in Italy and comes in multiple shapes and sizes, including some that are unusual, including wide noodles. It's made from a mixture of corn and potato starch, plus lupin flour and lupin protein.

Note that lupin, a legume, is a close relative of peanuts, and so people who have peanut allergy should not eat this pasta. The lupin ingredients provide a bit of protein.

Tasters say BiAglut gluten-free pasta, while expensive, mimics regular pasta well.

5

DeBoles Gluten-Free Pasta

DeBoles gluten-free pasta
 Courtesy of DeBoles

Note: Certified gluten-free by GFCO.

Best for: Those who like flax for the omega-3 fatty acid content; those who want a gluten-free angel hair pasta.

DeBoles, owned by Hain Celestial Group, makes two different lines of gluten-free pasta: rice-based pasta and quinoa-golden flax pasta.

The rice-based pasta comes in six shapes, including spaghetti, penne, angel hair, multigrain penne, lasagne, and multigrain spaghetti. They contain moderate protein (4 grams per two-ounce serving).

The multigrain varieties include several different whole grains (amaranth, quinoa, and brown rice), plus rice bran, xanthan gum, and a vitamin-mineral mixture.

The DeBoles quinoa-golden flax pasta comes in two shapes: penne and spaghetti. Ingredients include: brown rice, quinoa flour, and flaxseed, plus xanthan gum, and the pasta contains 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per two-ounce serving.

6

Jovial Foods Gluten-Free Pasta

jovial foods gluten-free pasta
 Courtesy of Jovial Foods

Note:  Certified gluten-free by GFCO.

Best for: Those with food allergies beyond wheat and gluten; those who prefer an organic product.

Jovial organic gluten-free pasta contains only two ingredients: brown rice flour and water. (Jovial's egg tagliatelle contains organic eggs.)

It's available in 13 different shapes, including manicotti shells, farfalle (little pasta bowties), and caserecce (medium-length wide curvy noodles).

Jovial pasta is made in a dedicated facility free of gluten, milk, eggs, tree nuts, and peanuts. The facility does manufacture products with soy, and the pasta is labeled "may contain traces of soy."

Sometimes rice-based gluten-free pastas (and other rice-based gluten-free foods) have a grainy feel and sharp "rice-y" sort of aftertaste, but this one doesn't. Also, with 5 grams of protein per serving, this gluten-free pasta contains higher-than-average protein (although carbs are about average).

Note that Jovial also makes Einkorn wheat pasta, so make sure you pick up the correct product.

7

King Soba Noodles

King Soba noodles

Photo from Amazon

Best for: Those who want an Asian-style soba noodle instead of traditional Italian-style pasta; those seeking unusual noodle flavors.

King Soba makes a variety of gluten-free, wheat-free, non-GMO noodles in traditional Japanese style, including 100 percent buckwheat noodles, sweet potato and buckwheat noodles, black rice noodles, pumpkin, ginger, and rice noodles, and fair trade basmati brown rice noodles.

All are organic and vegan. They contain no additives, preservatives, or food coloring.

King Soba noodles are made in a gluten-free facility that may also handle sesame and nuts. Like all gluten-free pasta, the noodles are best if they're not overcooked. King Soba also recommends rinsing them with cold water immediately after cooking to remove excess starch and improve flavor.

8

POW! Protein Pasta

POW! protein pasta
 Courtesy of Ancient Harvest

Best for: Those following a lower-carb diet; those seeking to add protein to their diet.

This gluten-free brand, made by Ancient Harvest, omits the corn that's present in the original Ancient Harvest pasta recipe and replaces it with beans and, in some varieties, brown rice flour.

POW! is available in five varieties: black bean elbows, green lentil penne, red lentil rotini, green lentil spaghetti, and red lentil linguine. The pastas are high in protein (21 grams per two-ounce serving) and high in fiber (7 grams per serving).

This pasta can't really pass for gluten-y pasta, but its texture is decent, and it holds up well to sauce.

9

RP's Fresh Gluten-Free Pasta

RP's gluten-free pasta
 Courtesy of RP's Pasta

Note: Certified gluten-free by GFCO.

Best for: Those who prefer fresh pasta; those who can't have corn.

This pasta was promoted by Oprah back when she was doing her talk show and remains popular to this day. It's based on brown rice flour and is available fresh for retail outlets, fresh for food service/restaurant outlets, and frozen heat-and-serve.

It comes in a variety of shapes, including macaroni, ziti, shells, linguini, fusilli, fettuccini, spinach fettuccini, and lasagne sheets. Ingredients include tapioca starch, potato starch, eggs and egg whites, and xanthan gum.

RP's, which makes its pasta in small batches, also offers organic gluten-free chickpea linguini, organic gluten-free black bean penne, and organic gluten-free red lentil fusilli.

You can find RP's gluten-free pasta products at Whole Foods. Overall, this gluten-free pasta best mimics the taste and texture of traditional homemade pasta. Note that RP's also makes gluten-containing pasta, so double-check that the package you have is gluten-free.

10

Schar Gluten-Free Pasta

Schar Gluten Free Pasta

Photo from Amazon

Note: Certified gluten-free by GFCO. Contains corn.

Best for: Those seeking a gluten-free pasta to use for pasta salad recipes; those who want leftovers.

Schar—a well-known purveyor of gluten-free grain products—makes Italian gluten-free pasta in three shapes: spaghetti, penne, and fusilli. All are made from a mixture of corn flour, rice flour, and vegetable palm oil. The products are preservative-free, dairy-free, and non-GMO, but may contain traces of soy.

Schar spaghetti is a top gluten-free spaghetti in Europe, and consumers like it because it takes sauce well, reheats well, and also works in cold pasta salads. All three varieties of the pasta contain less than 1 gram of fiber per two-ounce serving and contain about 3 grams of protein.

11

Tinkyada Gluten-Free Pasta

Tinkyada Gluten-Free Pasta

Photo from Amazon

Best for: Those who want to cook enough for leftovers; those who prefer fewer ingredients.

This Canadian company makes rice pasta in a gluten-free facility. Most of its 17 different pasta varieties and shapes are made from brown rice, rice bran, and water. Tinkyada also offers white rice spaghetti (made with just white rice and water), spinach brown rice spaghetti (made with brown rice, spinach, and water), vegetable brown rice spirals (made with brown rice, spinach, tomato, carrot, and water), and five different pasta shapes that are made with certified organic brown rice (spaghetti, spirals, penne, elbows, and lasagna).

Tinkyada has been a favorite in the gluten-free community for its excellent texture, mild (not bitter) taste, and limited ingredient list. It also holds its shape when reheated (which some gluten-free pasta struggles to do).

The pasta's nutritional profile is about the same as other rice-based pasta: 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per two-ounce serving.

A Word From Verywell

Unlike with gluten-free bread brands, which are relatively easy to distinguish from regular gluten-y bread, it's possible to find gluten-free pasta that tastes and feels just like traditional pasta. It's also possible to find gluten-free pasta with a somewhat different, more unusual taste, but that includes attributes you desire, such as high protein/fiber, corn-free, made from quinoa or buckwheat (or another gluten-free grain), or one that works well in cold salads.

Since there's such a wide variety of gluten-free pasta brands available on store shelves and online, your best bet is to try several and find one (or more than one) you like. Don't be afraid to experiment with different pasta for different recipes and uses, either—a gluten-free pasta variety that's perfect for spaghetti night may not work well if you want a pasta salad the next day.

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