The Hands Down Best Store-Bought Gluten-Free Pasta, According To An Italian Restaurant Chef

Various pastas in bowls

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It’s not terribly difficult to lead a gluten-free diet these days because there are a multitude of products sans wheat at a vast majority of grocery stores. It’s certainly gotten easier, but some foods, like pasta, don’t always measure up to their traditional counterparts. So when you stand at a shelf filled with gluten-free pasta at the grocery store, what’s the best option? Mashed spoke to Italian chefs about their advice for store-bought pastas, and Italian restaurant chef Steve Chiappetti has a recommendation for you gluten-free foodies.

“Gluten-free pasta has come a long way, and Jovial is one of the best I’ve tasted,” Chiappetti told us. “Made with brown rice, it cooks up with great texture — not mushy — and actually tastes like pasta.” The reason why many gluten-free pastas lack the texture of a traditional pasta is directly due to the lack of gluten. However, Jovial’s gluten-free pasta is made with rice, rather than other options like almond flour, so it should meet your expectations. Pastas made with brown rice and other ingredients like quinoa are thought to provide a better texture because of the starch content that’s released during cooking.

Varieties of Jovial gluten-free pasta and recipes to try with the chef-approved ingredient

Boxes of Jovial gluten-free pasta on shelf

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Another perk of Jovial’s gluten-free pasta is that it offers a wide range of pastas depending on what recipe you need to whip up. There are many options to choose from, so we’ll just outline a few that stand out to us. Its Organic Gluten Free Brown Rice Shells sound like an ideal option to try in our one-pot mac and cheese recipe. The brand’s Organic Gluten Free Brown Rice Farfalle would make our easy bow tie pasta salad recipe acceptable for gluten-free dinner guests. Or you can whip up our Instant Pot creamy penne pasta recipe with the brand’s Organic Gluten Free Brown Rice Penne. Other gluten-free pasta varieties from Jovial include stelline, fusilli, spaghetti, and even lasagna.

If you don’t trust us, there are plenty of other reviews and rankings online that also think Jovial’s gluten-free pasta is top tier. An online food blog Gluten Free Gathering recommends its fusilli if that’s what’s on your grocery list. Jovial’s gluten-free pasta also stood out with the best texture compared to other brands in a Food & Wine taste test.