What is Gluten Free Penne Pasta?
Gluten free penne pasta is a wheat free pasta, made especially for individuals with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Gluten is a protein found in wheat that some people have difficulty processing. Gluten free penne pasta is a tube shaped pasta with small ridges down the sides. It is typically made from rice, corn, or soy flour, or a combination of all three. The pasta is cream colored and can have a slightly denser, or gummier texture than wheat pasta, once it is boiled. The pasta is hard when uncooked.
Ingredients
...Corn flour is made from dried corn kernels. The kernels are ground into a fine flour that can be used in baking. The flour is soft and has a mildly sweet corn flavor when baked into a bread or any other item. Corn flour can also be used for encrusting fish and meat. The difference between white and yellow corn flour is the color of the kernel.
...Rice flour is made by grinding the rice grain. Rice flour can be made using white or brown rice, though white rice flour is used far more frequently than brown rice flour. White rice flour is white and fine like a wheat flour, but has a coarser and drier texture. Rice flour made from glutinous rice has a much finer texture and is almost like a powder. White rice flour can be used for baked goods, as well as pan-cooked flatbreads. It is useful in many savory and sweet applications. The flavor is bland.
...Palm oil comes from the red colored pulp of the palm fruit. The oil is yellow golden. Red palm oil is a reddish color and of a slightly higher quality. Yellow palm oil has a mild buttery flavor and red palm oil has a harsher taste. The oil is of a similar consistency to olive oil.