Gluten free pasta has come a long way. Sure, there’s GF pasta out there that instantly turns to mush and tastes nothing like traditional pasta. But the best gluten free pasta is practically indistinguishable from pasta made with wheat flour.
You can make gluten free pasta out of anything these days. Browse the pasta aisle and you’ll see GF pasta made out of brown rice, chickpea flour, ancient grains, lentils, and even white rice. But are these alternative flour pastas pale imitations of the pasta you knew and loved when your body could tolerate gluten, or do they actually taste good? How’s the texture? And will they hold sauce? Does gluten free pasta taste different? As we found out, it doesn’t have to.
Over the course of three separate taste tests, we tried nearly 30 different types of gluten free pasta, eaten both plain and dunked in sauce. What are we looking for in the best gluten free pasta? Well, we want some semblance of Italian pasta principles: We want springiness, chewiness, and bite. The pasta needs to hold its shape, as well. It shouldn’t be too brittle. It also shouldn’t be overly sturdy and grainy. And it shouldn’t turn to gooey mush when it’s cooked. Basically, you shouldn’t be eating it and think, “This is gluten free pasta.” If you’re going to imitate something as iconic as pasta, you damn well better do a good job.
So gather around, gluten free brethren, and behold our list of the best gluten free pastas—with a new number one.
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- Banza Rotini Made from Chickpeas
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Banza gluten free pasta is made from chickpeas, so it has a nice nutty, earthy flavor—although, it is a little grainy and firm. If you like your pasta al dente and with some added texture, Banza might be the best gluten free pasta for you. However, you might want to consider cooking this longer than the package directions instruct. While it wasn’t a great match with red sauce, it is a natural fit for pasta salad. Banza has a starkly red color to it, which looks bright and tasty in a big serving bowl. And dousing it with some vinegar and oil will cut that earthy taste. Toss Banza rotini with some mozzarella and basil for a nice looking gluten free pasta salad. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- ZENB Pasta
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You can tell this gluten free pasta brand’s pastas are made with yellow peas—but that’s part of the appeal. It has a nice, rich, veggie-forward flavor. I tried three different shapes: penne, rotini, and elbows. Personally, the elbows were my favorite. I think this would be the best gluten free pasta for mac and cheese—the old-school kind with Velveeta, not the fancy kind with breadcrumbs. The rotini holds sauce well and the penne would be great in an alfredo-style sauce. But the elbows are the real find. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Ancient Harvest Penne
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This gluten free penne is made from quinoa, corn, and brown rice. It’s a bit on the slippery side. The flavor is quite subtle and plain, which is honestly what you want out of the best gluten free pasta. You don’t want pasta to taste like something else entirely. Try this GF penne with some briny feta cheese, a squeeze of lemon, and some fresh oregano for a nice Greek-style pasta salad. This pasta is also textured enough to handle baking. Think: baked penne with red sauce and mozzarella cheese. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Tinkyáda Brown Rice Fusilli
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The package advertises: “Good texture. Not mushy. Al Dente.” Good news: They hold that promise. This gluten free fusilli has a smooth, almost oily feel to it, which doesn’t make it ideal for red sauce, but it’s still quite good. The outside is quite firm, but the inside is soft and delicate.That’s why Tinkyáda is the best gluten free pasta for a pasta primavera. Some vegetables, garlic, and oil will do this brown rice pasta right. Also, the package says the cook time is 16 minutes, but I’d start checking it after eight minutes so you don’t end up with anything too mushy. Tinkyáda also sells spaghetti, shells, elbow macaroni, ziti, and lasagna sheets. Lots of variety here, and if the fusilli is any indication, this could be your new go-to gluten free pasta brand. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Le Veneziane Fettuccine
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First, let’s talk about the adorable nests in which this delicate gluten free fettuccine is packaged. So cute. Cooked according to the directions, it comes out with a wonderful al dente spring and bite. It doesn’t fall apart and it’s not crumbly when you eat it. It has a touch of sweetness (it’s made with corn), so I’d recommend pairing it with a sauce to cover that up a bit. It’s great in vodka sauce, but something as simple as ricotta—maybe with some fresh corn—is great as well. It’s also one of the best gluten free pasta for kids—I can say from experience this is baby- and toddler-approved. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Giadzy Stelline
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You’re about to see several varieties of Giadzy gluten free pasta on this list, and that’s because they’re so. damn. good. If you’re not familiar, Giadzy is chef Giada De Laurentiis’s line of packaged foods, and her team did something amazing with GF pasta. They use Italian-grown, non-GMO corn and rice flour, as well as “pristine spring water” from the mountains of Italy’s Alto Adige region—and that’s about it. Anything that typically contributes an off or weird flavor to gluten free pasta just isn’t in this stuff. These little stars—aka stelline—are fabulous, firm, and flavorful (exactly how I describe my buns), but they’re a little less useful than other pasta shapes. Still, this is the best gluten free pasta for homemade chicken and stars soup.
- Jovial Brown Rice Fusilli
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I think fusilli is a great pasta shape. It works both with sauce and in pasta salad very well, unlike a linguine or spaghetti, which is not (I repeat not) meant for pasta salad. The problem with a lot of gluten free pasta, though, is that it’s tough, almost granular. That’s not a problem with Jovial, though, one of the best gluten free fusilli pastas we tasted. It’s got a great chew and bounciness to it. It has a faint brown rice taste, which is great if you like that sort of thing and also not too obvious if you don’t. Jovial’s greatest achievement, though, is its texture. You can confidently drown this in red sauce, toss it with garlic and vegetables, or make it into a nice summer pasta salad. It’s quite useful. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Capello’s Gluten Free Fettuccine
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We ranked Capello’s almond flour ravioli as one of the best frozen raviolis on the market, so I came in with high hopes for their frozen gluten free fettuccine. Luckily, they were met. This is the best gluten free pasta if you’re looking for that fresh pasta experience. Cooked correctly, it really tastes like classic, fresh pasta with a good eggy flavor—but then there’s more. It honestly tastes like carbonara sauce is cooked into the pasta. You don’t need to add anything to this gluten free pasta—maybe some asparagus or peas if you insist on getting some veg in the mix. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Safeway
- Bionaturae Organic Gluten Free Penne Rigate
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This gluten free penne pasta is firm and sturdy, but still has a pleasant chewiness to it. The shape holds well, too. This penne is noticeably ridged (that’s what rigate means) and has a sharp cut end. Sauce will cling to a ribbed, angular type of pasta way better than a smooth shape. Plus, gluten free pasta is often a bit slick in general, so the extra texture here is a really smart move.
This pasta is made from lentils and rice, but unlike a lot of the other lentil pastas, it isn’t grainy and tough. The rice flavor shows through as faint, sweet, and quite pleasant. Plus, Bionaturea penne rigate has eight grams of protein per serving. All in all, this is one of the best gluten free pastas. You aren’t really aware that it’s gluten free while you eat it, and that’s the biggest compliment we could possibly pay it. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Giadzy Ziti Corti
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I don’t think I’d ever had ziti corti prior to this taste test, and now I love it. It’s ziti, but ridged and long. It’s fabulous and it’s perfect for pairing with a nice, chunky bolognese (of course you should also top it with shredded mozzarella cheese and pop it into the oven, too). We’ve had a lot of gluten free pasta that just totally turns to mush when you cook it, but this is Giadzy GFpasta we’re talking about. It’s firm but tender. Its bite reminds me of handmade pasta from a nice restaurant, and that’s a HUGE accomplishment for gluten free pasta. If you like a tube because the sauce can really get all up in that hole (sorry), then this is the best GF pasta to bring home. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Giadzy
- Garofalo Casarecce
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Made with a mix of corn, rice, and quinoa, Garofalo (not to be confused with comedian Janeane Garofalo or quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo) is the new best gluten free pasta on this list. It tastes so much like glutenous pasta. The only thing that gave it away to me was a touch of sweetness on the end—but if you’re not actively looking for a tell, I don’t think you’ll be able to notice a difference. It has a great al dente bite and springiness. And let’s talk about the shape. I’ve been seeing this casarecce shape everywhere lately and I get why. The short twists—they’re kinda like mini scrolls—hold just the right amount of sauce. It’s the best gluten free pasta for meat sauce, because the little chunks get caught up in the curl. —Justine Sterling
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Giadzy Taccole Corte Pasta
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Hats off to Giada De Laurentiis, whose Giadzy brand makes GF pasta so good it earned multiple spots on this list, including the #1 spot. I just can’t stress it enough: This stuff is so good. Our previous number one, Garofalo Gasarecce, still has a touch of sweetness of the finish that gives away its gluten free status. I really truly couldn’t detect anything in Giadzy’s taccole corte that revealed that it’s gluten free. It has bite. It has a wonderful, mild flavor. And this shape absolutely rules. They’re like miniature sheets of lasagna—I ate them with marinara and the sauce nestled nicely in their crinkly edges. I know a lot of brands are making great gluten free pasta these days, but Giadzy makes the best gluten free pasta we’ve tried yet. Give it a shot. —Gwynedd Stuart
Credit: Liv Averett / Giadzy
Best for Pasta Salad
Best for Mac and Cheese
Best Ancient Grain
Best for Pasta Primavera
Best Gluten Free Fettuccine
Best Gluten Free Pasta for Chicken Soup
Best Gluten Free Fusilli
Best Fresh Gluten Free Pasta
Best Gluten Free Penne
Best Gluten Free Ziti
Best Curled
Best of the Best
Other gluten free pastas we tried: Tolerant Red Lentil Galaxy, Cybeles Shells, Trader Joe’s Organic Yellow Lentil & Brown Rice Spaghetti, Barilla Red Lentil Penne Pasta, Explore Cuisine Organic Dry Red Lentil Penne Pasta, Rotini Ancient Harvest Organic Supergrain Pasta, Good & Gather Gluten Free, A Taste of Thai Gluten Free Rice Noodles, Simple Truth Gluten Free Fusilli Pasta, Ronzoni Gluten Free Rotini Pasta, Barilla Gluten Free Rotini Pasta, Great Value Gluten Free Organic Penne Pasta, Goodles Loopdy-Loos, Goodles Lucky Penne, Goodles Twistful Thinking
