Better Gluten-free Pasta without Brown Rice

“You want me to give up pasta?” is probably one of the first responses I get when my patients get the news that they will be going gluten-free. For my celiac, Hashimoto’s and the majority of my eczema and acne patients, the answer is both yes and no. Yes goodbye to regular wheat pasta but hello to the abundance of pasta alternatives. One of the first pasta my naturopathic patients choose is brown rice pasta. When cooked properly and topped with cheese or tomato sauce, it can come very close to the original in the taste department. But unfortunately there is also a dark side to brown rice, arsenic. Brown rice has one of the highest contents of arsenic than any other food even if it is organic. This is because arsenic is naturally occurring in both soil and water. Avoiding sources of arsenic is extremely important for pregnant women or women trying to get pregnant. Another issue is rice pasta is lower in fiber and protein than regular pasta. This can be problematic if you need avoid insulin spikes or have blood sugar regulation issues as in pre-diabetes/diabetes or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). So if brown rice pasta is also a no-go, now what? Get your marinara sauce and fork ready and give these other pastas a whirl!

Spaghetti Squash

If you want a real pasta experience, spaghetti squash is not it. But spaghetti squash can still be an excellent alternative to rest your paleo meat balls or beyond meat sausage. It’s winning combo of being packed with nutrients such as vitamin C, manganese, and vitamin B6 and being high in fiber and relatively low in calories makes spaghetti squash a gluten-free pasta powerhouse. How do I take mine? Baked, scooped out and sautéed with olive oil, onion, garlic, tomato paste and a ton of basil. One of my go-to comfort foods after a long day of seeing patients at my New York City office. Love yerushalmi kugel but hate the carbs? Try using spaghetti squash instead of noodles and substitute monk fruit sweetener for part or all of the sugar.

Shirataki noodles

These virtually calorie-free noodles are found in bags in the refrigerated section of most health food stores and Asian markets. The reason that they are so low in calories is that they are made from the Asian tuber, Konjac, also known as glucomannan. Konjac has been found to be a functional food in the prevention of diabetes, acne, obesity, eczema and allergic rhinitis. It is also provides important appetite control support for patients enrolled in my 10 Day Jump Start weight loss and detox program. So you can see how Miracle Noodle really lives up to it’s name. For fettuccini Alfredo or Spaghetti al pomodoro, shirataki noodles would no be my first choice but they are the perfect substitute for ramen or rice noodles in Asian noodle salads or soups. They are also super easy to prepare. Simply open and drain the package and rinse the noodles in cold water a few times. They are ready to eat as is or you can add them to a hot dish that is ready to eat. You don’t want to cook them longer than that as they will get very tough. Looking for some inspiration? Try this recipe for a yummy Thai coconut curry noodle soup.

Beany pastas

Packed with protein and fiber, pastas made from lentils, black beans and chickpeas could be the perfect pasta alternative as they still retain much of the taste of regular wheat pastas. Because bean pastas are very close in taste to regular pastas, you can easily use them in Italian dishes or traditional pasta salad recipes. There are also so many brands making bean pastas really easy to find. Of all the brands, Cybele’s is probably the best both in taste and nutrition. Cybele’s uses a variety of beans and lentils plus packs their pastas with vegetables like broccoli and kale. I first heard about Cybele’s from my psychologist friend, Rebecca Reischer, Psy D, who works with clients struggling with chronic disease and is basically my expert on food intolerance specialty products. This pasta is so tasty that even the pickiest of little eaters will ask for seconds!