I have searched long and hard to find a gluten-free pasta that actually tastes good. Most of the brands I have tried in the past have left a cardboard taste in my mouth or the texture was simply too gritty, so you can imagine I was skeptical when someone boasted about how good quinoa pasta was.
We all know the one person who raves about being gluten-free, but for people like me who cannot bear the thought of never eating mac and cheese or donuts again, this lifestyle seems impossible. Whether you’re reading this because you cannot eat gluten or if you’re like me and are just trying to cut back, quinoa pasta might just be the answer.
Gluten has always upset my stomach, especially when I eat pasta bowl after bowl when studying for a big exam. When I decided to go gluten-free, I thought I would never find a pasta that remotely tasted like the real thing.
When I began my “healthy” journey to find a substitute for pasta, I picked up the first package that looked decent at my local grocery store. Being the broke college student that I am, I was a little disappointed to see that this small package of pasta was $5.00, a huge jump from the $1.00 pasta I’m used to devouring within a week. You definitely will want to check your bank account before going gluten-free because you will see a difference in your balance.
I decided to use pesto as the sauce, mainly because it was the only “sauce” I had in my apartment at the time. The pesto did not hide the bland flavor well enough for me, but don’t worry, there are endless sauces and ways to make pasta.
I decided to try these different methods out to let you gluten-freers know how to spice up your pasta. One method was to use a thicker sauce to make sure the bland taste was drowned out. One of the best sauces I liked was alfredo. Throw it in with the pasta, chicken, and broccoli and bake it to make the ultimate gluten-free chicken alfredo broccoli.
If you’re in denial about summer ending, and are not turing to fall foods yet, you might like a quinoa pasta salad. The mayo can act like a sauce, covering up the not-so-flavorful pasta. You also have full control on what you throw in, because let’s be honest, we’ve never tasted a bad pasta salad. So when it comes to preparing your pasta, make whatever your heart (or stomach) desires.
This pasta is great because not only does quinoa have crazy good health benefits, but it contains protein so you will actually feel fuller for longer than when you eat regular pasta. Going gluten-free also helps limit bloating and stomach cramps that can happen when you binge on your favorite carbs.
So whether you are just trying to limit your carb intake or you have dietary restrictions, you don’t have to say goodbye to your love for pasta.