Gluten-free Pasta Primer

There are oodles of new noodles at the
supermarket these days. They give pasta lovers
with gluten sensitivity plenty of tasty, no-fuss
options.
Know Your Type
Choosing an alternative pasta boils down to
personal preference. Rice pasta, usually made
with brown rice, is one of the most popular types,
thanks to its mild flavor. Corn pasta has a bright
yellow color and rough texture that's good for
holding sauces, but the flavor can be distinctly
corny. Quinoa pasta sounds like a nutritional
home run, but it is always made with other
flours, typically corn. In our test kitchen, the
pasta of choice is a blend of rice flour, potato
starch, and soy flour, which is toothsome and
lacks a telltale flavor.
Cook It Right
The worst thing you can do to gluten-free
noodles is overcook them- they'll become
soft and slimy. Read the cooking instructions,
but test often, says Jacqueline Mallorca, author
of Gluten-Free Italian. "As soon as they're
tender, drain them".
Use It Well
If you're giving gluten-free pasta a go for the
first time, Mallorca suggests serving it with a
hearty sauce, such as ragu or Alfredo, so you
won't notice the difference. Don't serve rice pasta
cold or keep it for leftovers: It will harden when
cooled- just like leftover rice- resulting in stiff,
cardboardlike noodles.

-Everyday Food Magazine, May 2012