How to Keep Gluten-Free Pasta
From Getting Mushy
If you’re trying to figure out how to keep gluten-free pasta from getting mushy, my biggest tip is simple: stop treating it exactly like regular pasta.
Gluten-free pasta can be a little dramatic. One minute it’s too firm, you turn around to chop some parsley, and suddenly it’s falling apart in the pot. After cooking a LOT of gluten-free pasta for my family, clients, and recipes over the years, I’ve learned that good gluten-free pasta is mostly about timing.
Here’s what actually works.
Stop Trusting the Box So Much
The cooking time on the package is a suggestion.
I start checking gluten-free pasta about 2–3 minutes before the recommended cooking time. Pull out a noodle and eat it. You want it al dente with a little bite left because it will continue cooking after you drain it, especially if it’s going into a hot sauce.
This is really important for recipes like Tikka Masala Chicken Pasta, Gluten Free Bacon Chicken Pasta Carbonara, and Arugula Pesto Pasta with Zucchini & Fresh Corn. I’d much rather pull my pasta slightly early and let it finish in the sauce than try to rescue noodles that have already turned to mush.
You can cook pasta longer. You cannot uncook it. Annoying, but its true.
"Different gluten-free pastas behave VERY differently. Brown rice, corn, chickpea, lentil, and blended gluten-free pastas all have slightly different textures and cooking times. Once you find a brand you love, learn how that pasta cooks rather than relying completely on the package directions. And my biggest tip? Undercook it slightly. You can always give pasta another minute in the sauce. You cannot reverse-engineer a bowl of mush.."
Give Your Pasta Some Room
Get out the big pot.
Gluten-free pasta releases plenty of starch as it cooks and tends to stick together more easily than traditional pasta. Plenty of boiling, well-salted water gives the noodles room to move around.
Stir right after adding the pasta and then a few more times while it cooks. Don’t aggressively attack it with your spoon, especially toward the end when gluten-free noodles become more delicate.
And have the rest of dinner ready to go. Gluten-free pasta is not particularly interested in hanging out in the colander while you decide it’s finally time to start making the sauce.
Check out these posts.
Pasta Water Is Gold. Save It.
Before you drain the pasta, scoop out at least a cup of that cloudy cooking water.
I know I talk about pasta water constantly, but there’s a reason. A splash helps loosen sauces and allows you to finish slightly undercooked noodles directly in the pan.
I use this trick with Brown Butter Zucchini Pasta with Carrot Top Pesto and Bacon Chicken Pasta Carbonara. Add the pasta to your sauce, splash in a little reserved water, and toss everything together over low heat.
That final minute in the sauce is one of my favorite tricks for how to keep gluten-free pasta from getting mushy while still getting the sauce to really cling to the noodles.
The Rules Change If You're Making Pasta Salad
This is where things get interesting. If I’m making Fast & Fresh Summer Pasta Salad, I don’t want the pasta continuing to cook, so I spray it with cold water to stop it from cooking before assembling the salad.
For something baked like Light Chicken Tetrazzini, undercooking matters even more because those noodles are about to spend additional time cooking in the oven.
And then there are soups like Easy Lasagna Meatball Soup and Meatball + Pasta Broth Soup with Pesto. Pasta sitting in hot broth continues soaking up liquid, which means perfectly cooked noodles can become very soft later.
If I know we’ll have leftovers, I sometimes cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl. Future lunch deserves good noodles too.
10 Gluten-Free Pasta Recipes to Try
Have you seen these recipes yet?
Hi, I'm Kat.
Welcome to my Kitchen Counter. I’m excited to share with you a new series called “Make my kitchen work for you” along with a collection of blog posts about a variety of topics – building a gluten free pantry, staples to always have on hand and gift guides for the Chef in your life. Take a look around. I’d love to hear from you – do you like these posts?
