Not every gluten-free pasta is created equal! There are so many gluten-free pastas on the market now, some are rice-based, some corn, others are quinoa... if you're looking for a pasta that actually tastes like traditional pasta I recommend rice pasta. Tinkyada brand is my absolute favorite GF pasta hands down. I usually go through about 3 or 4 bags of it a week- my son LOVES it!

When I first attempted gluten-free cooking, I experimented with every brand of pasta I could get my hands on. Not only does GF pasta cost so much more than regular pasta (at least double, if not triple the price), but some of it really doesn't seem to be worthy of being in the pasta category. I think the biggest complaint I have with most brands is they tend to get a bit slimy when cooked, and forget about leftovers- they completely disintegrate. I learned the hard way, after finding tupperware containers full of goo, to only cook what will be consumed immediately.

Because of my son's autism, he gets very insistent on the specifics of his meal. If he wants elbows, he gets elbows. Ziti is what we always pack in the cooler for trips to the beach or the playground. When I make his homemade chicken soup, he prefers the animal shapes pasta. Tinkyada the biggest assortment of shapes than any other gf pasta brand that I'm aware of. I can even purchase it at some of the Super Walmarts now. I do wish they had bow tie shapes though- my son has been asking for them for 8 years now!

I definitely think that rice pasta is the way to go when choosing a pasta to cook gluten free. My choice is Brown Rice Tinkyada! This brand, and rice pasta in general, is more expensive of course, but what isn't that's gluten free?! It tastes like regular pasta and has the same consistency. I have actually served this pasta to my friends and family, and would you believe it-- some people have actually chosen to buy this pasta over regular pasta, and chosen to pay the extra money!

I found that you have to be on top of the cooking process, although it's only boiling. If the pasta is cooked on medium to lower heat, the pasta will stick to the pot and a starchy film will form on the top and sides of the pot. Stirring, of course, will remove this--it just kind of bothers me. High heat lowers this effect, but you have to watch the pasta to prevent overflow.

A lower-cost option is corn pasta. You can find this right by the regular pastas in the grocery store sometimes too. It really isn't bad at all, and it's cheaper for some reason. It's just not Tinkyada :)

I have never heard of Tinkyada. We tried a couple of rice pasta before and didn't like them too much. We have been eating Ancient Harvest quinoa pasta. I think I'm going to give Tinkyada a try next time. Thanks for the info!

We cooked Tinkyada white rice pasta a couple of days ago. I agree with Kimberly and Andrea that the texture is the closest to the regular pasta than any other GF pasta we tried. It even stayed soft for a day in the fridge - the noodles didn't break into pieces when I tried to reheat them. This is a good pasta substitute for non gluten-free guests. We'll try Tinkyada BROWN rice pasta next time (I noticed Andrea mentioned brown rice pasta after I bought the white rice pasta).

We have been eating Ancient Harvest quinoa pasta for about 4 years. While the texture is a bit different from the regular gluten pasta, we actually crave it now. We will continue to buy Ancient Harvest brand, but Tinkyada is definitely a good alternative.

Thanks ladies!

I'm glad you tried Tinkyada and liked it!