Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti is a corn and rice-based gluten-free pasta made to look and cook like traditional spaghetti. I've been trying all of the gluten-free pastas I can find lately, and since Barilla is such a familiar pasta brand, I was definitely curious to see how their gluten-free version would hold up.
One of my biggest complaints with gluten-free pasta is that it can be really difficult to get the texture right. Some go from undercooked to completely mushy in what feels like about 30 seconds, and others don't hold up well when they're used in baked dishes.
So how does Barilla's version do?
In this review, we'll look at the taste, texture, ingredients, nutrition, cooking, price, and whether I think Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti is worth buying.
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About Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti
Barilla is one of the most recognizable pasta brands, and they make a pretty extensive gluten-free pasta line using a blend of corn and rice.
Their Gluten Free Spaghetti comes in a 12-ounce box with six 2-ounce servings. It's traditional spaghetti-shaped pasta, so you can use it pretty much anywhere you'd normally use spaghetti.
I found mine at Walmart for $2.67, which I thought was a pretty reasonable price for gluten-free pasta. It's a little more expensive than regular Barilla spaghetti, but that's pretty common with gluten-free products.
Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti is also certified gluten-free and is produced on a dedicated gluten-free line. It's made with non-GMO ingredients and contains no preservatives.
(Find more information on the Barilla brand here.)
Ingredients & Nutrition
The ingredient list for Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti is surprisingly simple:
- Corn flour
- Rice flour
- Mono and diglycerides
That's it.
I really like seeing such a short ingredient list, especially with gluten-free products where the ingredients can sometimes get pretty long.
The pasta is certified gluten-free and does not contain any dairy or animal-derived ingredients.
A 2-ounce (56g) serving contains:
- 200 calories
- 45g carbohydrates
- 4g protein
- 1g fat
- 2g fiber
- 0mg sodium
Testing Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti
For this particular test, I decided to use the pasta in a recipe I was already making for Chicken Noodle Casserole.
I thought this would be a good way to test it because the pasta wasn't just going to be boiled. It was also going into the oven and would be exposed to additional heat and moisture.
That can be a bit of a problem for gluten-free pasta.
One of the biggest issues I've noticed with gluten-free pasta is that it can quickly go from an undercooked texture to mush. Pasta that seems perfectly fine after boiling can completely fall apart once you put it into a casserole or another baked dish.
Because I knew this pasta was going to be baked, I boiled it for 9 minutes with a generous amount of salt before draining it.
And honestly, I was pretty impressed with how well it held up.
The pasta had a very slight gummy texture after boiling, but it wasn't mushy and it wasn't falling apart. I rinsed it after draining, but I didn't add any oil since it was going straight into the casserole.
The noodles did stick together a little bit, but not enough to be annoying or make them difficult to use.
I also noticed that there was significantly less starch in the cooking water than I've seen with some other gluten-free pastas.
I tried one of the noodles by itself, and there wasn't really much flavor to it. Mostly, I just tasted a little bit of salt from the cooking water.
Once I mixed the spaghetti with the rest of the casserole ingredients, it held together perfectly well. I didn't have any noodles breaking apart or turning into mush while I mixed everything together.
Then I baked the casserole for about 25 minutes and let it cool for another 10 minutes before cutting into it.
(Find this Chicken Noodle Casserole recipe here)
And this is where I was really surprised.
I honestly couldn't have told you this was gluten-free pasta.
The texture stayed completely intact throughout the entire cooking process. It was firm but tender, with just a slight gumminess that I think is pretty typical of gluten-free pasta.
Compared to other gluten-free pastas I've tried, this one held up incredibly well.
The leftovers were actually one of the biggest surprises for me.
Usually, gluten-free pasta seems to get progressively worse after cooking. Something that was perfectly edible on day one can turn into a mushy mess after sitting in the refrigerator overnight.
That did not happen with this pasta.
The leftover casserole still had noodles that held together, and the taste and texture were nearly identical to the day before.
That is a huge plus in my book.
Now, it has been a long time since I've had regular wheat pasta, so I can't make a perfect side-by-side comparison. But based on what I remember, I don't think you would notice this was gluten-free if you weren't told.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Certified gluten-free
- Made with just a few simple ingredients
- Easy to find
- Affordable for gluten-free pasta
- Familiar, trusted brand
- Good texture
- Mild flavor
- Holds together really well
- Doesn't turn to mush when baked
- Makes good leftovers
Cons:
- More expensive than regular Barilla spaghetti, although that's pretty typical for gluten-free products
- Has a slight gummy texture compared with traditional wheat pasta
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti actually gluten-free? Yes. Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti is certified gluten-free and produced on a dedicated gluten-free line.
- What is Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti made from? It's made primarily from corn flour and rice flour, along with mono and diglycerides.
- Does Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti taste like regular pasta? The pasta itself doesn't have much flavor. When I tried it on its own, I mostly tasted the salt from the cooking water. Once it's mixed with sauce or other ingredients, it takes on those flavors very easily.
- Does Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti get mushy? It did not in my testing. I boiled and then baked the pasta as part of a chicken noodle casserole, and the texture held up very, very well. It remained firm but tender rather than turning mushy. Even the leftovers held together surprisingly well.
- How long does Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti take to cook? Barilla lists the cooking time as 10 to 11 minutes. For my casserole, I boiled it for 9 minutes before adding it to the other ingredients and baking it.
- Is Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti dairy-free, egg-free, or vegan? The box isn't specifically labeled as dairy-free, egg-free, or vegan, but the ingredient list does not contain dairy or animal-derived ingredients. As always, if you have a serious allergy, I recommend checking the packaging yourself before purchasing since formulations and labeling can change.
Final Thoughts
Of all the gluten-free pastas I've tried so far, I think Barilla Gluten Free Spaghetti held up the best.
And I think that's more impressive than simply having a good flavor.
It survived boiling, mixing, baking, cooling, and then being reheated as leftovers without turning into mush. The texture remained firm and tender, and the pasta itself has such a mild flavor that it works really well with whatever you're cooking.
I also really appreciate the simple ingredient list and the fact that it's easy to find and reasonably priced for a gluten-free product.
Will I buy it again?
Absolutely.
I already plan on trying some of the other gluten-free pasta shapes from Barilla to see if they hold up just as well. If they do, I may have just found one of my new go-to gluten-free pasta brands.
Have you tried Barilla Gluten Free Pasta? Let me know what you thought in the comments!
More Gluten Free Product Reviews you may enjoy:
- Bettergoods Gluten-Free Broccoli Cheddar Bake Review
- Bettergoods Gluten-Free Country White Bread Review
- Bettergoods Gluten-Free Chicken Tenders Review
- BFree Homestyle Sandwich White Sourdough Loaf Review
- Bettergoods Gluten-Free Cauliflower Thin Crust Pepperoni Pizza Review
- Milton's Gluten-Free Crackers Review
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