Gluten-free pastas are made from brown rice, white rice, corn, soy, potato and quinoa flours. Similar to all pastas, they don't contain yeast. Except for ravioli, they don't contain eggs or dairy products. Sales of gluten-free pastas and pizzas increased by nearly 39 percent between 2008 and 2010, according to "Progressive Grocer" magazine. Grocers are selling an increasing array of gluten-free pastas, including brands such as Tinkyada, Bionaturae, DeBoles, Lundberg and Mrs. Leepers.
Tinkyada
In 2011, Tinkyada – also known as Tinkyada Pasta Joy – won the “best pasta” category of Triumph Dining’s first annual “The Best of Gluten-Free Awards.” Tinkyada brown and white rice pastas are popular for their nutty flavor and the ease with which they cook up to be tender yet firm, a characteristic referred to as being “al dente.” Most Tinkyada products are made from brown rice and rice bran. Many are organic. The company produces fettucini, fusilli, lasagne, penne, shells and spaghetti noodles. It manufactures its products in a gluten-free factory in Ontario, Canada.
Bionaturae
Along with wheat products, Bionaturae produces organic, gluten-free pastas in Italy. These include spaghetti, elbow, penne and fusilli pastas made of rice, potato and soy flours. The company says that its factory is one of a “select few” authorized by the Italian Ministry of Health to produce gluten-free pasta. Bionaturae says that when the product is imported to the United States, an independent laboratory also tests it for gluten. While some rice pastas produce excessively starchy water when cooked, Bionaturae's gluten-free spaghetti does not, according to “Women’s Health” magazine.
DeBoles
The DeBoles company began in 1932 as a producer of Jerusalem artichoke pastas in New York City. It is now owned by the Hain Celestial Group, headquartered in Melville, New York. In the 1990s, the company began producing rice pasta, including white and brown rice pastas, some of which are certified organic. In particular, it produces lasagne noodles that don't need to be boiled. You layer them in a lasagne pan uncooked. They soak up moisture and oil from the alternating layers of sauce and cheese.
Lundberg
California's Lundberg Family Farms began producing rice in 1937 and grows more than 20 varieties. Many are brown rice and organic. The company's products are all gluten free and include five kinds of brown rice pasta -- elbow, penne, rotini and spaghetti as well as tiny, fluffy couscous in boxed mixes. The No Gluten No Problem website notes that Lundberg Family Farms listens well to customer feedback. When consumers became concerned about the use of autolyzed yeast extract as a flavor enhancer in the couscous, Lundberg removed the ingredient.
Mrs. Leepers
Mrs. Leepers is a subsidiary of North America's largest pasta producer -- the American Italian Pasta Company. It produces gluten-free pastas, including spaghetti, and pasta mixes made from corn and rice. Consumers who are looking for a product to approximate wheat pasta sometimes complain about the sweetness and instability of its corn noodles. The Gluten Free Adventures website says that Mrs. Leeper's rice vegetable twists also fall apart when cooked.
References
- Progressive Grocer; From Niche to Mainstream; James Dudlicek; August 2011
- Triumph Dining; 2011 Best of Gluten-Free Winners: Part 1, GF Bread & Other Staples; March 2011
- Tinkyada: Product List
- Bionaturae: Gluten Free Pasta; 2003
- Women’s Health; Gluten-Free Foods that Taste Great; June 2008
- DeBoles: Our History
- Lundberg: Gluten Free Products
- No Gluten No Problem; Product Review: Lundberg Family Farms Brown Rice Couscous; Peter Bronski; August 2010
- Mrs. Leepers: Products
- Reference for Business: American Italian Pasta Company
