Seriously Good Gluten-Free Pasta

Le Veneziane Pasta

Last year my husband discovered that he had a gluten allergy. I don’t know how many of you have ever had to switch to a gluten-free diet, but I assure you that it can be difficult at times, especially if you don’t want to have to give up… everything you like. Like pasta.

We avoided pasta for a long time because, quite frankly, most gluten-free pasta is horrid. The rice pasta we tried was mushy, even if you undercooked it a bit. The corn pasta we tried next tasted like, well,  corn. Which wouldn’t have been bad except we were hoping for pasta that tasted like pasta.

Then we went to LA.  One night we had dinner at an Italian restuarant that had gluten-free selections (much easier to find in a town like LA than here in South Florida). He had a pasta dish that scared the life out of him. Why? Because he couldn’t believe it was gluten-free. I tasted it. I actually called the waiter over to have him verify that it wasn’t wheat-based pasta.

That pasta was Le Veneziane.

It’s 100% corn pasta that doesn’t taste like corn (hallelujah). It’s made in Italy, which probably explains why it’s so good. They take both their food and their gluten-free seriously over there. It is, quite simply, the only gluten-free pasta I will bother with. But for the slightly yellower color, you’d never even know it wasn’t regular pasta. It cooks perfectly al dente and will make your pasta-deprived heart sing. I swear. I’m picky about these things, and I stockpile this stuff like it’s gold.

It comes in several different shapes, from spaghetti and fettuccine to penne and eliche (corkscrews). The only drawback? They don’t seem to make a lasagna noodle and my husband would love a nice lasagna. The price is fairly reasonable at $3.95 a package, only a few cents more than other premium semolina pastas, a big plus when you’re eating gluten-free, which can be expensive. It’s hard to find locally, so I buy through Amazon and stock up on several shapes.

This has been a godsend because it is a lot of work to make two separate pasta dishes or, worse yet, skip pasta altogether. If you’re new to the gluten-free lifestyle, try this. You might actually cry with joy.

About The Author:  Megan is a professional writer, amateur photographer and an accomplished beauty product crash test dummy. She'll try anything once, especially if it's a free sample. She's still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up, but it will probably involve travel and Colin Farrell. And maybe some writing and photography. You can visit her at onethousandwordsormore.com or follow her on Twitter: msmegan.

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