What we have here is even larger than what is in the title. Let’s all say it together:
Trader Joe’s Sodium Free, Wheat Free, Cholesterol Free, Gluten Free, Organic Brown Rice Penne Pasta
That is quite the mouthful. On the plus side, here are the ingredients: Brown rice, Water. That’s pretty awesome. So we’re guessing that the magic of making brown rice pasta is really in the processing?
I wish that there was a lot more to say about these noodles. Like gluten-free brown rice noodles made by other manufacturers, you have to be careful not to overcook them. What we do is watch and test them a lot when the timer says they should be done. Then when they are just on the cusp of al dente, we pour them into a colander and use cold water to stop the cooking process. The Trader Joe’s Gluten Free noodles end up being a little slimy, so the rinsing and draining process helps with that, too. Then, since we don’t like our pasta cold, we put the drained pasta in a non-stick pan and heat them back up, stirring constantly.
And here they are, gluten-free and steaming hot. Sienna made an awesome marinara sauce for these and added some mushrooms, spices, and Trader Joe’s ground buffalo burger in there.
The Trader Joe’s gluten-free pasta compared well to other brands we have tried, such as the Tinkyada brand gluten-free rice pasta. It’s definitely not as good as “real” pasta made with wheat, and I think we both like the gluten-free quinoa pasta better than any kind of rice pasta we’ve tried yet, but we really liked this pasta. Don’t miss our other reviews of Trader Joe’s products here.
We want to know: Do you have a favorite gluten-free pasta? For some reason we were surprised that the gluten-free Trader Joe’s pasta compared well to the more expensive brands. Did you notice any difference? Let us know in the comments.
Times we have visited: once (but we feel confident about our score.)
Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Price compared to “regular”: We think more expensive
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