Homemade pasta is one life’s greatest pleasures. The creative process is a relaxing way to unleash your Italian side, and you can really taste the difference.
This recipe is perfect for people with coeliac disease, as it is made from three types of flour that do not contain gluten: rice flour, quinoa flour and cornmeal. The result is a rustic pasta that goes nicely with a wide variety of sauces, but we recommend pairing it with a meat sauce (Bolognese sauce or Neapolitan ragù are perfect) or game sauce.
You can also adjust the ratio of the flours to suit your personal taste. Rice flour can be too fine and a bit flavourless, while cornmeal brings a lot strength and texture to the dough, so it’s better to have a light hand; quinoa flour, however, has a sandy colour and a strong flavour. The latter is also great from a nutritional standpoint, because coeliacs often struggle with iron deficiency, and quinoa is rich in this active ingredient.
Ingredients
For 2 people, preparation time 30 minutes, cooking time 5 minutes.
- 100 gr of rice flour
- 70 gr of quinoa flour
- 30 gr of cornmeal
Preparation
1 – Weigh the flours and combine them in a large bowl. Mix them roughly with a whisk to blend them as much as possible.
2 – Add the eggs and start kneading, first with the whisk then with your hands to make the task easier. If the dough is too dry, add a drop of water to help it hold together.
3 – Form a ball with a rough but regular consistency, which is easy to shape: it should not stick to your hands when you touch it, nor should it crumble if you pick it up. Pull off a piece and start preparing your pasta.
4 – If you have a pasta machine, start rolling out your dough: start from the last setting (number 5) and slowly, always flouring the dough with rice flour, work down to number 3. Then cut it into tagliatelle and let your pasta dry.
If you do not have a pasta machine, use a pastry board and a rolling pin (both floured with rice flour) and roll it out by hand. It should be a couple of millimetres thick. Cut the pasta into your desired shape with a cutter or, if you prefer, create long strips or diamonds with a knife. In short, let your creativity run wild!
5 – And here is the final result: our homemade gluten-free pasta served with a classic Bolognese sauce
Tips and tricks
Do not add salt to the dough, or it will become hard and difficult to work. You will salt the cooking water.
You can also use your pasta sheets to make lasagne. Make sure you roll it as thin as possible.
The cooking time depends on the thickness of the pasta. Start with 5 minutes, then try the pasta and adjust the timing to achieve your perfect texture.
You can replace the cornmeal with buckwheat flour and the quinoa flour with amaranth flour.
