Product Review: Tinkyada Brown Rice Lasagne Noodles
One of our tests for any GF food is whether I will eat it if I don’t have to (since my husband is the only one with the gluten intolerance). I mostly still eat regular pasta, although that’s generally because of the cost (GF pasta cost 2-3 times what regular pasta does), and I do prefer the standard semolina pasta taste, especially if I’m going for one of my comfort foods (pasta, butter and a little parm). But my husband quite likes it and my mother-in-law actually prefers the rice pasta and started buying it after we introduced her to it. Also, generally for any kind of casserole, cream, pesto or tomato sauce you generally can’t tell the difference, at least if you buy Tinkyada.
This is also the case for lasagna. The Tinkyada worked quite well. You have to be careful not to overcook the noodles. They don’t feel mushy in the al dente sense but they will tear quite easily. I would cook for no more than 8-9 minutes, especially since they are then going to be in the oven for another half hour at least. (This is less than half the recommendation on the box, so be aware.)
While most big grocery stores around here carry the basic Tinkyada spirals and ziti, for these noodles you may have to visit a specialty or health food store or online. In general, Tinkyada makes the best GF pasta. It doesn’t come out super mushy or taste really odd. Brown rice seems to hold up better than white and also means the pasta is more of a standard color and taste. I haven’t had other GF Lasagne noodles so I can’t compare at the moment, but I have no complaints except for the box recommendation on cooking time. The last time I used them I used the method of starting with uncooked noodles and putting in a little extra water in the sauce, covering tightly and cooking longer. They were a bit on the chewy side, so this time I decided to cook them. Next time, I might just blanch them, so they start to cook but are still fairly stiff and easy to work with.
Brief Comments: Good taste and texture, but cook for only half the time the box recommends.
Gluten-less living (shouldn't mean less living) 