It’s always refreshing to find an Italian food product that passes the “I wouldn’t have known it was gluten-free” test. While nailing the cooking time is still paramount with this tri-colored corn and quinoa flour pasta, every other aspect takes care of itself. Those quick, cold summertime onion and garden fresh tomato pasta salads just got their grain back.
The ingredient composition has a two-fold “we like it” factor. First, the flour blend is comprised of organic corn flour and organic quinoa flour only. If a flour is organic, not only are you assured that the grain is not genetically modified, but also that it has not been grown with pesticides that have been linked to increased prevalence of food allergies. Another attractive aspect of quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is that it is higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates than wheat.
The second reason this particular pasta blend is a pantry staple for some GFP staffers is that the green and red colors are derived from dried organic spinach, beets and red bell peppers. So that’s it – 5 ingredients only, and 100% organic. It doesn’t get much better than that from a nutrition point of view. Not to mention kids are drawn to the multi-colored blend.
Produced in a gluten-free facility, the Garden Pagodas pasta (one of a few different types offered from the Ancient Harvest brand), maintains its structure pretty well once cooked and mixed with other ingredients. Sure, a bit of break down happens, but not more than it does with a glutinous version. So just don’t get too aggressive with mixing the pasta in with other ingredients. On it’s own and topped with some sauce, the consistency and structural integrity is excellent.
This pasta blend is sure to become a family favorite – if you can keep it on the shelf long enough to share with everyone!
Check out all the Ancient Harvest Products in the GFP Product Directory.