Product: Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Corn Fusilli – $3.49+
I don’t know how many more times I can reiterate this but…I LOVE TRADER JOE’S!!
Trader Joe’s is not only impeccable about labeling their products…so shoppers know for sure if something is vegan, vegetarian, kosher, gluten-free, etc…but their line of products is impressive. Honestly. I wouldn’t go back if it weren’t true.
And I do go back. Every week. And every week I find something else I love about Trader Joe’s.
Well, it just so happened that I was in the mood to make the Brown Butter – Pumpkin Mac & Cheese for dinner the other night. This time, however, I was going to toss in some fresh broccoli as well. Why? Because I had broccoli…and I could. So, why not? The thing is…I needed a good gluten-free pasta that would not only be ideal to cook, bake, and then…for the following evening…reheat (GASP!). I’ve used brown rice pasta before and they tend to turn to mush after sitting in the refrigerator. The one time prior I used a corn pasta, I was quite impressed with the way it reheated. It wasn’t Trader Joe’s variety…but that’s what I had this time around. Into the pantry I went and emerged with Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Corn Fusilli.
Cooking the corn pasta is simple. Boil water, add corn pasta, cook for about 9 to 11 minutes…or until reaching that perfect al dente. As I was actually going to bake mine too, I kept it just under that perfect pasta level. Drain. Top however you wish. Enjoy.
The actual packaging said to cook this pasta for 9 minutes…but at nine minutes it was still a bit crunchy to the taste. I went a bit longer, another couple of minutes and it got it to just under the level it needed to be at. I think I should have actually boiled the pasta in a larger pan, to be honest. I can’t really blame it on the pasta. More of a kitchen blunder, really. So, it took a bit longer than anticipated. And I had to keep my pumpkin and cheese mixture moving so it wouldn’t solidify. But once these noodles got where they needed to be, texture-wise, we were back in the game. I gave the noodles a quick drain, put them back in the pan, then coated them with the pumpkin-cheese coating for the pumpkin mac & cheese. Mmmm. Then, it was into the oven for about 20 minutes.
When the casserole emerged, it was hot, bubbly, and smelled amazing. Even better…every fusilli noodle was intact. Honestly. It was a thing of extreme beauty. The macaroni and cheese dish itself was a fantastic shade of pumpkin orange. The noodles were just spread throughout. Little bits of broccoli adorned the dish. It really looked and smelled great. And when I went to scoop it into bowls…nothing wilted or fell apart. The pasta held it’s shape and didn’t collapse under pressure. Corn pasta…for the absolute win!
But…how did it taste? Amazing. For the record, corn pasta does not taste like corn. That was my initial concern when it came to using corn pasta. But it actually has a texture much like whole wheat would…without getting gummy like whole wheat pasta tends to. It is the right texture for pasta. Really…if you didn’t tell anyone you were using it…they wouldn’t know. It is amazing and versatile…and it holds up against a combination of pumpkin and cheese. That’s…outstanding.
And the results…delicious.
Even better…it reheats beautifully. Doesn’t turn to mush or anything! This makes me one happy gluten-free pasta loving girl, trust me.
Trader Joe’s makes quality products. Honestly. They are taking steps in the right direction and making sure their products live up to the brand they have established over the years. Let me tell you…I’m hooked. And this line of gluten-free pasta has forever worked its way into my kitchen. Beyond impressed.
The Celiathlete 