How to Cook Gluten-Free Pasta

Do you really need to add olive oil to your pasta water? What about salt? This post will show you the ins and outs of how to cook gluten-free pasta so you get the exact flavor you’re looking for and without the hassle! {Gluten-free}

When we first started eating gluten-free pasta, the options on shelves were limited, and the flavors were not nearly as tasty as they are today. In fact, we had so much trouble finding tasty gluten-free pasta, we actually gave it up altogether for about two years.

Then a dietician pointed us in a new direction. She told us gluten-free pasta had improved in flavor and, for best results, to pick a brand that uses two gluten alternatives. For example, a gluten-free corn/rice combo. Turns out she was absolutely right! It did taste better.

But that didn’t mean our journey to discovering delicious gluten-free past was over. Once we found brands we liked, we then had to learn HOW to make it. I know, I know. It seems obvious. Pasta is one of those rites-of-passage recipes where even the youngest culinary wiz kids can make it. But we discovered gluten-free pasta just kind of…cooks different.

It’s prone to mushiness and stickiness. Furthermore, it seems to go from undercooked to overcooked in a matter of seconds. Turn your back to check on something else while your pasta boils? Huh, not if it’s gluten-free. You’ll need to be nearby when your gluten-free “sketti” is cooking.

Add the salt…but leave the oil?

When I was growing up, we always added olive oil to the water. We also added salt. But according to Pasta Fits on their page How to Cook Pasta Perfectly, olive oil prevents sauces from sticking to pasta. If that’s a dealbreaker for you, then omit the oil. Food52 also weighs in on the issue in the post How to Properly Salt Your Pasta Water – for sure add salt (and only salt) to your pasta water.

As for the olive oil, is there ever a time to add it? The short answer is yes. According to Sarah Schmalbruch’s INSIDER article Here’s the Real Reason You’re Adding Olive Oil to Boil Pasta – And It’s Not Sticky Noodles, the real reason to add olive oil is to prevent the pasta water from boiling over the pot itself rather than to prevent noodles from sticking. If you’re working with thinner, smaller pasta then you probably don’t need any olive oil. 

But here’s the thing: because gluten-free pasta tends to be stickier, I like to add olive oil. It keeps the pasta from clumping together, which gluten-free pasta (especially spaghetti-style noodles) tend to do. I also comb the pasta with a fork very carefully. On the one hand, I don’t want clumpy noodles. On the other hand, I don’t want those same noodles to break. And I find gluten-free pasta tends to break when it’s over-handled.

How to prevent sticky, mushy gluten-free pasta

When I made traditional pasta, I often set it and forgot it. But as long as I didn’t overlook the pasta for too long, I was usually in the clear. Not so with gluten-free pasta. If the instructions say to bring the water to a boil before adding the pasta, then that’s exactly what you gotta do.

If the instructions say to cook the pasta on high for seven minutes, then guess what? Seven minutes, it is. Once I add the pasta, I literally set the timer for the suggested number of minutes, and I don’t stray too far from the stove. I also don’t add the pasta until the water has turned to a full boil.

Lastly, I err on the side of fewer minutes to start. For example, if the pasta needs 7-9 minutes of cook time, then I’ll set it for seven minutes. If when I check the pasta it’s still undercooked, then I’ll let it go longer, but I still check regularly. In the aforementioned example, it may need more than seven minutes to cook but fewer than nine minutes.

How to prevent gluten-free pasta from breaking

The key to clump-free gluten-free pasta that also doesn’t break is to comb the pasta with a fork. This is especially relevant if you are working with pasta such as angel hair or spaghetti. I like to gently run a fork through the pasta strands as it cooks, including when I first add it to the pot. And I keep an eye out for clumps that form, usually at the ends of the strands. If that happens, then I’ll jostle the pasta carefully only in the area where it’s sticking together.

And if your pasta ends up with film on top, then there are two steps to take, depending on your recipe:

1. Rinse the pasta. Run it under warm water if you’re serving a warm main dish. Run it under cold water for pasta salads. Don’t turn the water on full blast, however, since gluten-free pasta is prone to breaking.
2. Save the starchy water. What? Why would you ever want the starchy film that rises to the top in the pasta pot? Some recipes actually call for starchy pasta water. It acts as a sauce for the pasta recipe. Gluten-Free Spaghetti Aglio e Olio (pictured above) is a great example of this. If your pasta water gets super-starchy, that’s okay in this recipe because that’s exactly what it calls for!

Gluten-free pasta recipes

We LOVE gluten-free pasta by itself. But if you’re in the mood to change up the flavors, then check out these savory dishes!

• Gluten-Free Italian Pasta Salad
• Lemon Garlic Broccoli Pasta {Gluten-Free}
• Garlic Cashew Pasta {GF}
• Shrimp and Sausage Pasta

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