10 Best Gluten-Free Pastas in 2021 (Nutritionist-Reviewed)

Kara Swanson is a certified nutritionist and the founder of Life Well Lived. She is married to her best friend and the proud mother of three. Her passion is to make nutrition simple, easy, and delicious! You can find her amazing nutrition plans and learn tips and tricks to staying healthy on her website, Instagram, or Facebook.

She has plenty of experience with gluten-free food - including pasta, of course - so we asked her to evaluate and comment on the buying guide below. Read on to see her insight!

We considered several factors and consulted with an expert when researching our list of gluten-free pastas. These included:

• Alternative ingredients used for the pasta
• Whether it had the gluten-free certification
• The nutrition the pasta offers

Check out the Buying Guide section for more on these helpful tips to keep in mind as you shop for a new gluten-free pasta. 

To help you quickly figure out which product to buy, we researched the various brands and compiled a list of the 10 best gluten-free pastas. We made our choices based on the points listed in the buying guide below, as well as reviewer comments when available.

※Please note that these products were not picked by Kara Swanson, but chosen through extensive research and by combing through customer reviews by our staff at mybest.

When choosing a gluten-free product, you should pay attention to the types of wheat alternatives. Furthermore, if you care about the flavor and texture of the pasta, check the reviews on Amazon and other e-commerce websites! 

Following a gluten-free diet used to mean skipping all pastas. However, nowadays, there are many gluten-free alternatives such as rice, corn, or lentil that actually have a great taste.

Brown rice and white rice are popular gluten-free alternatives since they have a mild taste and chewy texture that are similar to regular pasta. However, rice pasta might become gummy if overcooked, so you should opt for firm shapes like penne or shells.

Compared to white rice, brown rice pasta has more nutrition. It is high in fiber and minerals as well as antioxidants such as phenols and flavonoids. Additionally, brown rice contains phytochemicals and minerals that have been associated with lowering the risk of some cancer types. 

However, note that both white and brown rice contain arsenic, which can have negative heart health effects in high amounts, among other issues. This is only really an issue for people who eat rice or rice products without balancing it out with other products, so just try to eat rice pasta in moderation as part of a varied diet. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration further mentions that boiling rice like pasta gets rid of up to 60 percent of arsenic, so rice pasta shouldn't be high enough to worry too much about.

When it comes to taste, brown rice pasta tastes somewhat similar to whole wheat pasta. On the other hand, white rice pasta tastes more like regular pasta. Some brands also add rice bran to give their products more fiber and antioxidants.

Legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, or beans are a great substitute for the regular wheat pastas since they have a chewy texture and can absorb sauces pretty well. 

Furthermore, legumes are popular among health-conscious consumers, since they are high in fiber but low in carbohydrates and glycemic level. The amount of protein in legume pasta is also twice as much as in traditional wheat pasta. 

However, legume pastas tend to have a slightly nutty or starchy flavor, so you could try neutralizing that with a powerful sauce if you aren't a fan of the legume taste.

Quinoa is a seed that is rich in protein, fiber, minerals, and vitamin B. It is a popular alternative for wheat pasta since it can be cooked quickly. Another plus is that it doesn't get too soggy. Note that quinoa is sometimes also blended with rice flour to make quinoa pasta.

However, the texture of quinoa pasta can be a bit grainy in comparison to regular pasta. There might be a slightly nutty taste as well. So if you don't like the taste of quinoa, you use a strong-flavored sauce or go with a different type of gluten-free pasta.

Corn pasta has a taste that many say resembles that of regular wheat pasta, but it has a grainy texture. Therefore, some brands combine corn flour with other types of flour, like rice flour, to make the texture a bit smoother.

Shirataki pasta is made from the root of the konjac plant which has a gelatinous texture and no taste. If you want an alternative with a texture and flavor similar to regular pasta, then this is probably not a good option for you. However, shirataki pasta is great for weight loss, since it has almost no calories and is filling as well. 

On the packaging of gluten-free products, you might see the "certified gluten-free" seal, but what exactly does it mean? According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), foods can only be labeled as gluten-free if they have less than 20 parts per million of gluten.

Usually, products bearing this seal are safe for people with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. But be careful, since certified gluten-free products might not be 100 percent safe for those who are extremely sensitive to small traces of gluten. 

You should also check to see if the product is processed in a dedicated gluten-free facility or not in order to avoid cross-contamination. For example, a product that is manufactured in a facility that also processes wheat or barley might run a risk of containing those allergens. 

Many people think that gluten-free pasta is healthier than the regular type, but that's not always the case. In fact, compared to traditional pasta, some gluten-free alternatives contain more carbohydrates and less fiber.

Therefore, if you have certain diet goals, it is safer to pay attention to the nutrition facts. For those concerned with carb intake, you might want to avoid pasta made from rice, since it tends to have high levels of carbohydrates. Legume or plant-based pastas might be a better choice since they're high in fiber and more nutrient-dense.

Here's a video tutorial on how to cook gluten-free pasta to avoid it turning to mush. Be sure to follow the instructions on the packaging carefully. Since each type of gluten-free pasta might require a certain cooking time and water amount, you should not apply the cooking instruction of one type to another.

During cooking, gluten-free pasta tends to stick together, so make sure to use a rolling boil and stir the pasta regularly. Putting salt into the boiling water can enhance the flavor of your pasta. 

If you plan to cook the pasta in a sauce afterward, make sure to undercook it in the water so it can finish cooking in the sauce. Gluten-free pastas, especially ones made from rice, can be overcooked easily, so it's better to slightly undercook your pasta in the first round to avoid a mushy mess. 

Check your pasta every 30 seconds once it's almost done to avoid overcooking. When your pasta is ready, drain it in a colander and briefly rinse it with hot water to remove excess starch. This will help prevent sticking.

Even though we've already given some helpful tips and info, there are probably still some lingering questions you have about gluten-free pasta. Though these answers were prepared through plenty of in-depth research, please always make sure to consult your doctor or nutritionist first when making the final choice of whether or not a gluten-free diet is suitable for you.

Technically speaking, no, it's not necessarily healthier. Gluten-free pasta may be made out of other types of well-known "healthy" grains, but it doesn't always offer more nutritional value. In fact, whole wheat pasta options are much better for you, as they often contain more protein, fiber, and, in some cases, potassium than gluten-free options. Whole wheat also has plenty of vitamins and even antioxidants!

And if you want to follow a gluten-free diet to lose weight, it could help in the short term. However, according to a 2017 study published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences, there is no significant difference in the propensity for obesity in non-gluten eaters compared to gluten eaters. So unless you really like gluten-free pasta or have celiac disease and need to eat them, we would recommend going for whole wheat pasta instead.

Unfortunately, there isn't enough evidence to support either way. Products containing gluten often contain plenty of sugars and carbohydrates, but gluten-free products still have a lot of calories and carbohydrates, so you will still need to watch your intake to prevent spiking your blood sugar regardless. Gluten-free pasta can also have plenty of added sugars or other ingredients to make them taste better, which can be bad for diabetics.

Only people with celiac disease must strictly follow a gluten-free diet. According to a study from 2008, there is a connection between type I diabetes and celiac disease, so if you know you have type I diabetes, you may want to check if you have celiac as well. 

When you talk about FODMAPs in pasta, you're not referring to gluten, but to fructan, a type of carbohydrate that can lead to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symptoms. Fructan is pretty high in wheat, but pasta can still be consumed so long as you control the portion size.

Since gluten-free pasta cuts out wheat, people tend to think of them as low-FODMAP. However, this really depends on what the gluten-free pasta is made from. 

Make sure to avoid high-FODMAP ingredients like soy flour, coconut flour, and certain fibers like inulin and chicory that are often added to gluten-free products. Almond, quinoa, corn, and rice flour are low FODMAP within a specific serving size - 1/4 a cup for almond and 2/3 a cup for the rest. 

If you're unsure, we suggest looking for low-FODMAP certification, such as FODMAP Friendly or Monash's low FODMAP certification. However, note that low-FODMAP is not defined by the U.S. government, and the programs are voluntary, so still make sure to check food labels thoroughly.

If you haven't found what you're looking for even after taking a look through the buying guide and our top 10 list, why not try this option recommended by nutritionist Kara Swanson? They taste great and keep well.

Need some other gluten-free ingredients or just some sauce to go with your pasta? Check out the links below for more! If you need help figuring out what ingredients at the store are gluten-free, too, then take a look at the gluten-free apps article, as well.

Author: Thuy Nguyen

Updated by: Kristina Tan, Susan Lucier Ogawa, 10/13/2021

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