Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti

Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Pasta is available in a number of gluten-free forms and various types of pasta tend to taste better with different toppings. Rice pasta is generally the best pasta for a classic bowl of macaroni and cheese while corn pasta is often going to taste best with some marinara sauce for its topping. While it does come down to individual taste, the nice thing about pasta is that if someone has a gluten or wheat allergy, there are many alternatives and finding the best option for a pasta dish just takes some experimentation.

And for a plate of spaghetti, it is this author's opinion that one of the best options is going to be corn pasta due to the general strength of the pasta after it's been cooked. Any type of pasta might tend to get a little mushy if it's left in a pot too long, but alternative non-gluten based pastas are extremely vulnerable to becoming a mushy mess. This is where corn pasta shines as it has a strength to it that other pastas do not.

Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Of course, it should be noted that corn pasta does taste different than traditional pasta that is made from wheat. For Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti, the strength of it is generally within expectations and covering it with a pile of marinara (or any sort of tomato-based sauce) along with some Parmesan (or even mozzarella) is a fine idea as the resulting taste is pleasing.

One of the benefits of this particular brand of pasta is the fact that it's made with words like "natural" on the package, which might be an attractive element for anyone who is interested in eating foods that haven't been through significant processing. Not only is the product gluten, wheat and lactose free, but it's also got zero cholesterol and is not made with preservatives. This is a great pasta to use if you're interested in making your own sauce and having a natural pasta to serve with it.

Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

The one area where people who enjoy eating pasta might have to watch out is in the calorie column as just a single package of pasta (which is likely good enough for three people so long as there are sides involved) equals about 1200 calories. This means if you add cheese and sauce to the mix and perhaps some gluten-free bread with a little garlic and butter, you might very well be looking at thousands of calories worth of food for what might be just part of a full meal. 

Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti w/Marinara & Parm
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

It's advisable that anyone seeking to eat a healthy amount of calories each day be careful not to toss the entire package into the pot unless they're interested in seeing the number on the scale jump up or they've got some friends over to share the meal.

The nice thing about this pasta is that it's not going to need an extreme amount of babysitting at the stovetop as would rice pasta (which is generally a type of pasta that cooks at a lightning pace). 

Of course, that doesn't mean that it can be left on the stove for a half hour and come out just fine. As with any gluten-free types of pasta, it's always best to cook it just a few minutes less than you might cook pasta that was filled with gluten. But just a hair less when it comes to corn pasta as it does perform well when it's cooked right.

Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti Report Card:

Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

The Good Things:

Schär does generally make pasta that's tasty and this (mostly) corn pasta is something that should pair well with some traditional Italian toppings such as a type of tomato sauce and any sort of cheese that you might expect to see in an Italian restaurant.

What Could be Better:

There's not a lot that Schär could really change regarding their pasta as it performs well in cooking tests and does produce a tasty pasta experience when fully cooked. For anyone who has had the pleasure of eating regular gluten-filled pasta, the taste difference is certainly noticeable, but anyone who can't eat gluten shouldn't feel too deprived when they're forced to eat an alternative type of pasta such as this corn pasta.

A warning to anyone searching for a gluten-free pasta - as is the case with most gluten-free dishes, you'll likely pay much more for a small package of Schär Naturally Gluten-Free Spaghetti than you would pay for a run-of-the-mill pasta where "gluten-free" wasn't printed somewhere on the package. Expect to pay as much for a small package of Schär pasta as you might for a family size package of the regular wheat stuff.

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

One of the most delightful foods from childhood is macaroni and cheese and it's one of those foods that manufacturers love to advertise since it's so eternally popular. And in the last few years there has been some movement from pasta makers to create macaroni and cheese options that are gluten free. One such type of macaroni and cheese is Quinoa and according to Wikipedia, it's a type of crop that offers edible seeds, but it's not technically a type of grain. 

The neat thing about the crop though is that it does have an unusually high level of protein for something that resembles a grain and scientists have actually determined through testing that it's a complete protein as well. The crop is something that NASA engineers have suggested might be a healthy source of food during long space flights.

But for those of us here on earth, Quinoa is a great alternative to wheat-based pasta because it offers a very nice, solid texture when cooked. Unlike rice pasta, Quinoa will not usually melt into a bowl of goo if it's left to boil on the stove too long. And the high nutritional value of the food is a huge plus for anyone following a wheat-free or gluten free diet since such diets tend to be deficient in some types of important vitamins and minerals.

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

For Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac and Cheese, the prospect of getting to eat macaroni and cheese that's not likely to turn into a mush bowl is quite appealing and anyone who has eaten Quinoa before will likely be quite aware of its suitability for cooking. But just because Quinoa acts great on the stove-top doesn't mean that it will necessarily accommodate absolutely any sort of topping or accompaniment.


This type of pasta does taste quite different from regular wheat pasta when it is cooked, although just because it's different doesn't mean that it can't taste good. In fact, when Quinoa is paired with a type of marinara sauce and some Parmesan, the taste combination is fantastic. 


But it's this author's opinion that Quinoa is not necessarily something that lends itself well to a macaroni and cheese presentation.

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese in the Pot
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Or perhaps it's simply because Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese has such an incredible amount of salt in it. Though anything with cheese is going to have some serious salt, macaroni and cheese is always one of the biggest offenders for anyone who wants to lower their salt intake. And Ancient Harvest Quinoa does seem to have a high salt content and might be extremely salty at first taste. 


But there are some options to lessen the significant salty flavor.


To take some of the salty bite out of the meal, adding some butter seems to do the trick. The directions for preparation don't require anything but milk to be added, but it's fine to add your own ingredients. In fact, the "variations" on the back of the box do suggest that the flavor can be enhanced with the addition of some butter.

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese in the Bowl
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

One of the interesting things about Quinoa is that it stays together terrifically after it's cooked and therefore allows for a nice, solid meal, but for macaroni and cheese, the use of much more delicate rice pasta seems to lend itself better to the concoction. 


Quinoa has a great taste to it and it's definitely got some amazing nutritional components, but the addition of cheddar cheese in traditional macaroni and cheese just isn't the perfect presentation. 


It is by no means something that tastes bad, but for pure taste, going through the hassle of cooking rice pasta (which tends to turn to goo if you don't stare at it and rip it from the stove almost immediately) might result in a better overall macaroni and cheese experience.


For true macaroni and cheese aficionados, it might be best to consider going with Annie's Homegrown Gluten-Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar Mac & Cheese instead even though proper preparation of that particular manufacturer's rice pasta does take a close eye on the stove.

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese Extreme Close-Up!
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese Report Card


The Good Stuff


Quinoa has an amazing texture and consistency and is truly a wonderful alternative for pasta for anyone who requires gluten free food as it doesn't have nearly the problems that rice pasta does in staying firm after it's been cooked. It can actually be prepared in an "al dente" style if the cook prefers a firmer style of pasta. Quinoa also has better nutritional value than rice pasta or even simple corn pasta.


What Can Be Improved


As stated above, this particular type of Quinoa does have an amazing amount of salt in it and it's very noticeable in your first bite. While many people do love salt, it's often a good idea to add some butter to the finished product to lessen that salty blow.


Tips for Great Mac & Cheese


If this particular type of Quinoa is too salty or the taste isn't just right, do consider making macaroni and cheese with rice pasta, as the results are usually better as far as pure taste is concerned. For anyone who is already familiar with Quinoa and loves it, Ancient Harvest Quinoa Mac & Cheese will probably be a great option for getting that pasta fix.