Gnocchi is a less common type of pasta that is used in Italian dishes that has some distinct advantages over dried pasta which is commonly used by most people. This is because it cooks extremely quickly, within a matter of minutes. However, if you live with a coeliac and you need to purchase gluten-free gnocchi you may be wondering does it taste different from normal Gnocchi that you can buy at the local grocery store?
Gluten-free gnocchi is one of the only pasta that can be made gluten-free without significantly affecting the taste or texture. In my personal experience, you cannot taste the difference between regular Gnocchi and gluten-free products whereas with many of the other types of pastas it is easy to tell the difference.
The gluten-free pasta that is available generally takes longer to cook and has a slightly different taste and a masher consistency. Additionally, most of these types of pasta require additional water in the pot to cook properly and it is quite normal to get a white or cloudy appearance in the water which typically doesn’t occur with wheat-based pasta.
However, in the case of Gnocchi, the behavior of the gluten-free version is almost identical to the wheat-based pasta in terms of the way cooks. Like normal Gnocchi, you simply need to place it into a saucepan full of boiling water for a couple of minutes until the Gnocchi starts to float, and then drain it immediately ready to serve.
How Do You Tell In Gnocchi Is Gluten Free?
If you’re purchasing Gnocchi from the local grocery store it will generally contain gluten unless otherwise stated on the packaging at the front in most countries. However, if you are unsure about the gluten-free status of the product it is important to have a look at the ingredients list which will have the allergens stated specifically at the end of the ingredients list.
Additionally, in most cases, wheat ingredients will be highlighted in bold text as well making it easy to confirm whether wheat is present. If there are no wheat products present in the ingredients list and the manufacturer has a statement on the packaging like “This Product May Contain Wheat” that usually means that the product will be safe to eat for coeliacs.
The reason that companies place a statement of that nature on their products is that they are not prepared to claim gluten-free status for the product because they cannot 100% guarantee that it will be completely gluten-free. But it will be safe to eat for coeliacs as the company has placedthe warning largely for legal reasons.
However, if you are dining out at a restaurant you must assume that the gnocchi contains gluten unless you have had a confirmation otherwise from the staff at the restaurant.
What Can I Substitute For Gluten-Free Gnocchi?
If you are creating a pasta dish and you don’t have gluten-free gnocchi available you may be wondering what you can substitute for gnocchi in pasta dishes.
There are several options that you can choose from which include dry gluten-free pasta as mentioned above, rice, and rice noodles. However, in the case of rice noodles, you do need to be quite careful about the type of noodles that you give to coeliacs as not all rice noodles are gluten-free.
Products such as udon noodles do contain wheat and therefore are not suitable for coeliacs. However, most dry rice noodles are safe to eat but are always important to check the ingredients carefully.
Are There Any Other Common Ingredients In Pasta Sauces That May Contain Gluten?
The vast majority of ingredients that are normally used in pasta sauces whether they are homemade or purchased are gluten-free. All fresh ingredients such as garlic, tomatoes, onions, and mince meat will all be gluten-free along with tomato pastes, canned tomatoes, and passatas.
However, the one ingredient that you do need to keep a close eye on is stock solutions or stock powders that are sometimes used for flavoring sauces. These products can contain gluten so it is important to double-check the ingredient list carefully to ensure that you don’t give your guests any problems.
Is It Safe To Strain Gluten-Free Pasta In The Same Coliander As Wheat Pasta?
Gluten-free pasta should be separated at all times from wheat pasta which includes using a clean colander when draining the pasta. If you want to reduce the number of dishes created, if you are cooking both gluten-free and gluten-containing pasta, it is easiest to cook the gluten-free pasta first and use the same colander afterward to strain the wheat pasta.
Will The Leftovers Of Gluten-Free Pasta Dishes Keep In The Fridge?
Gluten-free dishes that are not eaten by your guests can be stored in the fridge in much the same way as normal pasta dishes and they will typically last around about the same time, which is a couple of days in the fridge. However, do not store gluten-free pasta with normal pasta if you want it to remain gluten-free.
I hope you found this article useful and are able to successfully cook gluten-free pasta dishes for your coeliac friends and family.
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