My 3 Favorite Gluten Free Pasta Choices

Photo credit: Flickr

Going gluten-free doesn't mean giving up pasta.

Actually, I pair it with a handful of veggies once or twice a week for dinner. There's nothing better than fresh garden tomatoes sauteed with a little garlic, onions, peppers and extra virgin olive oil over some soft penne, right?

So, when I go to the grocery store, there are three brands of gluten free pasta that are allowed to land in my shopping cart.

Isn't all Gluten-free pasta the same? No!

Why only three? Because the rest that I have tried are disgusting.

They turn to mush when boiled, fall apart when baked or don't reheat well. And we all know I like to cook in big batches to have leftovers. If my pasta turns into paste when I warm up the leftovers, I'm not a happy girl.

My Three Favorite Gluten-Free Pasta Brands

So if you're going to make gluten-free lasagna, reach for Tinkyada Brown Rice Lasagne. It's made from brown rice.

When you're craving penne, elbow macaroni or spaghetti, my two go-to brands are Ronzoni and Barilla. I have a box of Ronzoni Elbows Pasta or Barilla Penne Pasta in the pantry at all times for quick meal prep.

Barilla's gluten-free noodles are made from a combination of corn and rice. Ronzoni's gluten-free noodles are a blend of four grains: quinoa, corn, white rice and brown rice.

I've made countless meals with these three gluten free pastas, and have never been disappointed. They get tender without falling apart, keep their form better than other gluten free pastas when reheated (especially the lasagna), don't have a gritty texture and taste great!

What's your favorite gluten-free pasta? I'd love to find a fantastic gluten-free cheese tortellini.

Let's chat in the comments below!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Disclosure: I write this blog to share my opinions, ideas, and help others on their healthy lifestyle journey. On occasion, I may include affiliate links. This means if you click a link and purchase the product mentioned, I earn a few pennies. And you know what that means? I can keep on blogging! So, if you like my tips, reviews, ideas and insight, consider purchasing the products you read about right from the convenience of this page. Thank you!

My Gluten-Free Pasta Choice: Mung Bean Noodles

Giving up pasta isn't easy. So, I decided I didn't have to. I just had to get creative.
After realizing my wheat consumption aligned with joint inflammation, I decided to venture into a gluten-free diet. Since I prefer eating whole foods, I was thrilled to find a preservative-free one-ingredient pasta alterative at the grocery store: mung bean noodles.

Mung Bean Noodles
Photo by Wikimedia Commons

After trying rice-based pasta noodles (mushy and flavorless), I was skeptical. But now I have a new favorite go-to noodle.

Mung beans are also known as cellophane noodles, mung bean threads or glass noodles. The gluten-free pasta earned these odd names because it turns from white to clear when boiled. The thin strands remind me of angel hair pasta or a very slender spaghetti. Even after boiling and baking them in pasta sauce, the noodles retain a common chewy noodle texture.

Mung beans don't have much natural flavor, so they absorb the flavor of other ingredients. I've been pairing them with homemade alfredo sauce and sauteed vegetables to create a calorie-heavy indulgence. That is the downside to the noodles; They aren't friendly on the figure.

One cup of dehydrated mung bean noodles contains 491 calories and 121 grams of carbohydrates. The beans don't offer any protein and very little fiber to your diet. However they contain iron, phosphorus and selenium. To boost the nutrition factor, pair the noodles with vitamin-packed veggies, lean proteins and low fat dairy products.

Although the noodles are a splurge, it's nice to have a gluten-free option that withstands boiling, baking and tossing with other ingredients without falling apart (like some gluten-free carbs).

Do you use mung bean noodles? What are you favorite recipes? Please share in the comments section below.
 
Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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What is Riboflavin?

Also known as vitamin B2, riboflavin is present in whole wheat rice, pasta and breads. Consuming foods containing riboflavin helps maintain your vision, metabolic activities in the body and  promotes energy production in the cells.

To read more about riboflavin, read my article "Riboflavin Health Benefits and Sources" on Associated Content from Yahoo! by clicking HERE.

Until next time,

Choose Healthy!

Angela

Garden Pasta

If your garden has an abundance of end of the season tomatoes, try this quick late-summer lunch for two. This recipe is vegetarian friendly and loaded with healthy whole foods.

(Photo by Hotblack, Morguefile.com)

End of Summer Garden Pasta

2 Tbs. olive oil

6 sliced shallots (or 1 cup chopped onion)

2 Tbs. minced garlic

1 cup chopped green, yellow or red sweet peppers (whatever grows in your garden!)

3 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes, including the skins

3 cups cooked whole wheat pasta or whole grain rice

Measure olive oil into a non-stick skillet and warm to a medium setting. Saute sliced shallots, minced garlic and chopped peppers until the shallots are opaque. Add the chopped tomatoes and allow the mixture to simmer and reduce for approximately 10 minutes.

For a more hearty sauce, add 1 cup of sausage-flavored soy crumbles (I like the Morningstar Farms brand) to the simmering tomato mixture.

Spoon the sauce over a bed of whole grain spaghetti or whole grain rice.

Serve the pasta with a fresh tossed salad.

Until next time,

Choose Healthy!

Angela
Whole Foods Living

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