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 any of the ingredients you don’t really need! {Gluten-free}

When we started making gluten-free pasta several years ago, it was NOT easy and the results where BLECH. The pasta was sticky or mushy and the flavor was either indiscernible or definitely discernible but disgusting. As much as we loved traditional pasta, we gave up gluten-free pasta for about 2 years.

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

For as often as people enjoy pasta, it turns out there are a few tricks we can employ in our culinary efforts to get just the right flavor!

ADD THE SALT…BUT LEAVE THE OLIVE 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. 

FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS:

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, guess what? Well, you can guess the drill. You gotta do what the box says. Once I add the pasta, I literally set the timer for seven minutes, and I don’t go far. I also don’t add the pasta until the water has turned to a full boil.

If you are preparing your pasta to be used in yet another recipe, unless the recipe says otherwise, follow the cooking instructions on the pasta box and then add the pasta to the recipe you are preparing.

You may find you’ll need to reduce the cooking time if you’ll be transferring the pasta to another recipe where additional cooking will occur.

IF THE GLUTEN-FREE PASTA IS STILL UNDERCOOKED:

If you follow the instructions and find the pasta is still too firm, continue to cook it in 30-second increments until you reach the desired doneness. During this stage, I continue to stir to prevent the noodles from unevenly cooking or clumping together. 

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}
• Paleo Spaghetti Sauce

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