The 8 Best Gluten-Free Pastas of 2021

Best Overall: Barilla Gluten Free Pasta Spaghetti

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While many gluten-free pasta makers try to replicate the taste and texture of wheat pasta, Barilla’s noodles come the closest to the real deal. Tasters say that it’s hard to tell that it’s not a regular wheat pasta. Made in a certified gluten-free facility and totally delicious, it’s made with corn and rice and is super affordable.

This versatile gluten-free pasta comes in four different types—spaghetti, rotini, penne, and elbows—so it’s easy to use in all your favorite recipes. It does take a bit longer to cook than wheat pasta, but Barilla fans say it’s totally worth the wait.

Best Budget: HEARTLAND Gluten & Wheat Free Penne

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You’re definitely going to spend a bit more on most gluten-free pastas, but this one from Heartland is inexpensive as well as delicious. Even pasta junkies love the taste and texture, which is remarkably similar to regular wheat pasta. This versatile pasta is available in penne, lasagna, spaghetti, and fusilli shapes, making it a great choice for all types of meals and recipes. As with many gluten-free pastas, Heartland pasta can easily be overcooked, so make sure you keep an eye on it to avoid that problem. For best results, users recommend cooking it al dente.

Best Tasting: Le Veneziane Gluten Free Pasta Variety Pack

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Serve Le Veneziane gluten-free pasta to your dinner guests and they may not even realize they’re not eating wheat pasta. With the look, texture, and taste of regular pasta, it’s a delicious substitute. Made in Italy, Le Veneziane is a versatile pasta that can be used with a gluten-free pasta sauce, for casseroles, or in a cold salad. Whether you choose spaghetti, penne, fusilli, or fettuccine, you won’t be disappointed with the quality or taste. Like some other gluten-free pastas, the package is smaller and a bit pricier than regular wheat pasta. However, fans of Le Veneziane say the pasta is hearty and filling, so a little goes a long way.

Best Penne: Banza Chickpea Pasta

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A great-tasting pasta with twice the protein, three times the fiber, and half the net carbs of traditional pasta sounds too good to be true, but that’s exactly what you get with Banza gluten-free pasta. If that weren’t enough to make you want to give it a try, it also tastes great and looks like regular wheat pasta, so you can please those who prefer the real thing. Banza gets its nutritional punch from its main ingredient, non-GMO chickpeas. It comes in a variety of fun shapes including rotini, penne, spaghetti, linguine, shells, angel hair, rigatoni, and ziti.

Best Spaghetti: Tinkyada Organic Gluten-Free Brown Rice Pasta

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Fans of Tinkyada’s organic gluten-free brown rice pasta swear that it has the taste, texture, and quality of regular wheat pasta. Pair this spaghetti with your favorite sauce and you’ll think that you’re eating the real thing. The other shapes, including shells, elbow, fusilli, lasagna, and penne, are just as delicious and easy to prepare. Made in a gluten-free facility, most of Tinkyada’s varieties are made from just brown rice, rice bran, and water. Unlike some other gluten-free pastas, it doesn’t get mushy or sticky and even tastes yummy the next day or when used in cold pasta salads. 

Best for Stir-Fry: Annie Chun's Brown Rice Noodles

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If you love stir fry and other Asian noodle dishes but need a tasty gluten-free option, you should definitely consider Annie Chun’s brown rice noodles. Easy to prepare, they cook in just 5 minutes, making them perfect for busy nights when you want to whip up a quick but healthy dinner. They’re also fat-free, cholesterol-free, dairy-free, vegan, and contain no preservatives, but are packed with delicious flavor. Whether you have them in a savory noodle soup or a cold noodle salad, they’re an ideal ingredient for a satisfying gluten-free meal.  

Best for Pasta Salads: Schar Naturally Gluten-Free Fusilli

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One common complaint about gluten-free pastas is that they get mushy or gummy when served cold, like in a macaroni salad. But Schär gluten-free pasta maintains its texture and consistency when cooked and chilled, so you can still enjoy your backyard BBQ favorites. Their fusilli and penne shapes are perfect for pasta salads or pairing with a cream sauce, and their gluten-free spaghetti is also a favorite. Made with corn flour, rice flour, and vegetable palm oil, these tasty, flavorful noodles are also non-GMO, preservative-free, egg-free, and lactose-free, so they accommodate many dietary restrictions.