If your question is – Can gluten free pasta be as tasty as wheat pasta? – Campania Wines has the answer!

Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley. It causes serious digestive problems for people suffering from coeliac disease, who have to avoid it at all cost. Others who may be gluten-sensitive find it beneficial to cut gluten out, but many people embark on a gluten free diet through personal choice.

A recent survey in the US showed that only 5% of people who purchased gluten free products did so because of coeliac disease. The rest cited a variety of reasons – better digestive health, weight loss or nutritional value, though there are mixed opinions about the validity of any of these claims. Whatever the reasons for going gluten-free, in the past, gluten free food was hard to come by and quite often didn’t match the quality of its gluten-containing equivalents.

Take pasta, for example, one of our top food sellers here at Campania Wines. A year or so back, I had a friend to stay who requested a gluten free diet.  As an Italian, needless to say, pasta was bound to be on the menu at some point. “No problem,” I thought. “I’ll purchase some gluten free pasta and cook it separately.”

Oh dear me! I followed the instructions on the packet to the letter, but still ended up with a gooey gloop stuck to the bottom of the pan – more like porridge than penne. The trouble is that gluten is what helps pasta to hold its shape during cooking, balancing the amount of water absorption. With no gluten, water absorption is inconsistent. One minute you’ll have nearly al dente, the next a soggy mess.

Such a shame for pasta lovers who need or choose to follow a gluten free diet…but, have no fear. We have the perfect solution.

Recently, I came across Garofalo Gluten Free Pasta, produced in Campania (of course!) in a town called Gragnano, near Naples. It’s made from rice, corn and quinoa flours, and, like Garofalo’s wheat-based pasta, is extruded through bronze moulds, not steel. This helps with shape retention.

With this pasta, a gluten free diet doesn’t have to sacrifice taste and quality for the sake of good health.

The cooking technique is slightly different, but everyone will enjoy eating it, saving you the inconvenience of cooking two separate pans of pasta to accommodate the needs of a gluten-intolerant family member or guest.

It’s vital to cook gluten free pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water at a rolling boil. Once you’ve added the pasta, stir it occasionally until the water’s bubbling vigorously and starts to foam. Turn down the heat at this point & stir the pasta more frequently, keeping an eye on its colour so you can see when it’s lightened.

Test a piece to make sure it’s perfectly al dente then quickly remove the pan from the heat and drain off all the water. To complete the magic, rinse the pasta with warm water and toss in a little extra virgin olive oil – and hey presto! Delicious with a sauce of your choice and I challenge you to tell the difference between Garofalo gluten free & regular pasta!

A gluten-free label so often equates to a large mark up, but we are delighted to be able to offer you Garofalo Gluten Free Pasta for only £3.00 a packet.

So there you have it – Garofalo Gluten Free Pasta – not only serving the needs of people with a particular dietary requirement, but delicious and very reasonably priced too. What more could you ask?

Buon appetito!