Italian food. Spaghetti, lasagna, ziti…you name it and I’m a fan. Spaghetti has forever been one of my favorite meals and something that I would usually request to have on my birthday for dinner.
And then…I had to go gluten-free. I was on Facebook soon after making the switch and ranting a bit about the cost of gluten-free products. Looking for tips and tricks. And an old high school classmate of mine, who had to be gluten-free for awhile, mentioned Tinkyáda pasta, saying it was the best. She said it tasted so much like regular pasta, I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
So, with that in mind, I went searching in my local grocery stores. Sure enough…they carried a few varieties. But it was a little more than I was willing to pay at the time. So, instead, I caved and got the DeBoles rice pasta and was very disappointed. The noodles just got limp and soggy. I wasn’t a fan.
While on vacation this past month, I was visiting family and went grocery shopping for things I could eat and found the Tinkyáda Brown Rice Spaghetti noodles and decided to purchase them and give them a try. My family was eating pasta that night, so this meant I could have pasta as well. Perfect. And…it wasn’t as expensive in Minnesota as it is in Indiana…so it was the ample opportunity to give it a shot.
I was actually quite excited to cook up these noodles. As I set the water on the stove to boil, I read a bit of the packaging so I knew how long I needed to cook them and then got to work on my gluten-free vegetarian spaghetti sauce to pour over it. Since these noodles were so highly recommended by someone I know and who had to do her own searching for delicious gluten-free products, I wasn’t the slightest bit concerned with the taste. I just could tell, even as I put the dry noodles into the boiling water, that these were going to be good.
As the sauce and noodles cooked, I decided to make up my own version of garlic bread as well, so as to be able to have something to mop up the sauce with. While out on the same grocery expedition, I purchased my favorite gluten-free sandwich bread: Udi’s Whole Grain Bread. Placing it on a pan, I brushed a little olive oil and seasoned it lightly with a few herbs from the cabinet. As the noodles were getting closer to finishing, I popped it in an over at 425° for about 7 minutes to get crisp and toasted.
While that was baking, I drained the noodles and gave them a quick rinse in cold water, as the package suggested. Then, with a dab of sauce in the bottom of a bowl, I placed the noodles on top. Then, more sauce was added. Presto…the perfect spaghetti dinner. I pulled out the bread from the oven and set it on the edge of the bowl and went to sit down and enjoy my gluten-free dinner.
First taste and I knew there were no other spaghetti noodles for me. No more skimping and buying DeBoles. Never again. This had the right al dente pasta texture. It really, really tasted like spaghetti should. Nothing limp, or soggy. Perfect noodles. I’ve had them again a couple of times since this experience and they’ve been amazing each time. I’m planning on cooking up another meal with the small Brown Rice Shells in the next few days and just know I can trust them to hold up to the casserole that it’s going in.
When it comes to gluten-free foods…there are times you really do need to splurge. If Tinkyáda noodles are available in your grocery store, do not hesitate to purchase them. Do not try to take the cheaper route, because you will be disappointed. You will be amazed at the texture and taste of Tinkyáda’s products. I rave about them every chance I get. My roommate LOVES them, and as stated before, she doesn’t even need to eat gluten-free foods. I’m the chef here, though, so she eats what I make and sometimes she’s the guinea pig for a new recipe or product.
Even if you don’t need to eat gluten-free, give Tinkyáda’s Brown Rice Noodles…or any of their pasta noodles…a try. I’ll never go back to using any other brand. Top of the line gluten-free pasta perfection. Nothing less than al dente goodness in every twirl of the fork.
Oh…and as for my impromptu garlic bread…that rocked my world too! The perfect meal thanks to the perfect gluten-free products.
The Celiathlete 