Tuesday, September 28, 2010
My sister and a number of my friends are sensitive to gluten, a protein in wheat and other grains, and for them that has meant living without pasta. Now, though, there are a number of gluten-free pastas on the market. I’ve been experimenting with a few of them, including rice sticks — Asian rice noodles that have been sitting in my pantry for years, it seems, yet never deteriorate.
My conclusion: If you are among the legions concerned about dietary gluten, these noodles may have a place in your future. The main trick to using gluten-free pasta is to follow the cooking directions to the letter. If you cook the pasta for too long, it falls apart. If you fail to cook it long enough, it becomes rubbery. Here are some types that I’ve had success with:
Andean Dream quinoa pasta: Available at Whole Foods, this pasta is made from a mixture of organic rice flour and organic quinoa flour from royal quinoa, a variety grown in Bolivia that is exceptionally high in protein. The spaghetti takes a good 15 minutes to cook, but the macaroni only takes six to seven minutes. It makes a good choice for dishes like pasta e fagiole (recipe below), because it won’t become soggy.
Brown rice pasta: I use the house brand from my local Trader Joe’s, but it’s no different from other brands. The brown rice fusilli takes about nine minutes to cook and resembles regular pasta in feel and flavor.
Papadini pasta: Available online at Eatitworld.com, this pasta is made from flours ground from urad legumes, such as green lentils and mung beans. The fettuccine-like noodles cook in two minutes and have a vegetal flavor that lends itself to Malaysian noodle dishes and goes well with simple tomato sauce.
Rice noodles: Also known as rice sticks, these glassy rice flour noodles are delicate and versatile. Available in Asian grocery stores, they require a 20-minute soak in warm water to reconstitute, then one to one and one-half minutes of cooking in boiling water.
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