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Dave June 22, 2009

Product Review: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Organic Brown Rice Pasta

What we have here is even larger than what is in the title. Let’s all say it together:

Trader Joe’s Sodium Free, Wheat Free, Cholesterol Free, Gluten Free, Organic Brown Rice Penne Pasta

That is quite the mouthful. On the plus side, here are the ingredients: Brown rice, Water. That’s pretty awesome. So we’re guessing that the magic of making brown rice pasta is really in the processing?

Gluten Free Penne Brown Rice Pasta

I wish that there was a lot more to say about these noodles. Like gluten-free brown rice noodles made by other manufacturers, you have to be careful not to overcook them. What we do is watch and test them a lot when the timer says they should be done. Then when they are just on the cusp of al dente, we pour them into a colander and use cold water to stop the cooking process. The Trader Joe’s Gluten Free noodles end up being a little slimy, so the rinsing and draining process helps with that, too. Then, since we don’t like our pasta cold, we put the drained pasta in a non-stick pan and heat them back up, stirring constantly.

Trader Joe's Gluten Free Penne Pasta

And here they are, gluten-free and steaming hot. Sienna made an awesome marinara sauce for these and added some mushrooms, spices, and Trader Joe’s ground buffalo burger in there.

Trader Joe's Gluten Free Brown Rice Pasta

The Trader Joe’s gluten-free pasta compared well to other brands we have tried, such as the Tinkyada brand gluten-free rice pasta. It’s definitely not as good as “real” pasta made with wheat, and I think we both like the gluten-free quinoa pasta better than any kind of rice pasta we’ve tried yet, but we really liked this pasta.

We want to know: Do you have a favorite gluten-free pasta? For some reason we were surprised that the gluten-free Trader Joe’s pasta compared well to the more expensive brands. Did you notice any difference? Let us know in the comments.

Times we have visited: once (but we feel confident about our score.)
Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Price compared to “regular”: We think more expensive

Filed Under: Product Reviews Tagged With: Pasta, Trader Joes

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Comments

  1. Natasha says

    June 23, 2009 at 6:08 pm

    I’m pretty sure the TJ’s brand is just repackaged Tinkyada. It says “product of Canada” on the label and Tinkyada is Canadian.

    I LOVE the Tinkyada/TJ’s pasta; I actually think it is incredibly close to wheat pasta (at least the spaghetti – the penne isn’t quite as good.) I’ve fed it to many people and they’ve been none the wiser.

    • Carla @ Gluten Free Recipe Box says

      December 20, 2011 at 12:09 pm

      Tinkyada used to be my first choice, then I went onto Jovial, and now my number one pasta choice is Trader Joe’s Brown Rice Penne Pasta. To die for in my book, and definitely better than Tinkyada. I suppose all tastes differ. I believe TJ’s is closer to the real thing, doesn’t get soggy, and has a rubbery texture like real pasta. I haven’t tasted anything besides their penne pasta. Now you have me wanting to do so, though. Thanks for the tip.

  2. Dave says

    June 24, 2009 at 11:00 am

    I bet you’re right. Very sneaky! I’ve wondered about other Trader Joe’s products being re-packaged versions of others. Thanks for the insight.

  3. Gina says

    June 24, 2009 at 2:42 pm

    I’m not a fan of brown rice pasta, but I like TJ’s better than most other brands I’ve tried. My favorite gluten-free pasta is still the Ancient Harvest quinoa and corn pasta. I just did a pasta review, too! It’s on a different quinoa pasta made with rice flour called Andean Dream. Come check it out if you’re interested in trying new pastas.

    My technique for dealing with the slime factor on rice pastas is to cook it until it’s just al dente and then rinse it thoroughly in HOT water. I’ll have to try your method to see if it gets better results. Thanks for the tip!

  4. Mary says

    June 26, 2009 at 10:50 pm

    TJ’s pasta is my favorite for a number of reasons:
    it’s organic; it’s a whole grain product (unlike wheat pastas which are usually made from a “white” flour); it’s way cheaper than Tinkiyada; the price hasn’t changed in however many years they’ve been selling it; there’s a longer window of opportunity between being al dente and mush than many other GF pastas. But, mostly I like it because it tastes great! Like Natasha I serve it to guests with never a complaint.

    I actually prefer TJ’s spiral pasta shape over the penne. I think it holds its texture a bit better.

    I live in Corvallis and we don’t have a TJ’s store, so I stock up on this (and lots of other stuff) when I go to Portland or Eugene. That’s always my last stop on the way home!

  5. Sandra says

    August 3, 2009 at 9:59 am

    I am quite positive that Trader Joe’s is Tinkyada repackaged for TJ.

    I love Tinkyada the best so it was great to find them cheaper. It cooks up nicer than other brands and tastes great!!!
    I don’t miss wheat pasta at all.

    I love penne and brown rice spiral shapes the best and you must rinse them thoroughly with cold water to get rid of the starch.
    Don’t overcook or you will get mush with any pasta.

    Bon Appetit

  6. allisflux says

    August 27, 2009 at 11:30 am

    I think the TJ’s is Tinkyada too…which when I first went gluten free and tested all the brands out there…Tinkyada came up top of the list. It was the only one that could stay in the fridge overnight and reheat for lunch the next day without getting chalky and mealy. It still had the same texture. And my non-gluten folks like it too.

  7. Chinarut says

    June 8, 2011 at 11:46 am

    TJs is **not** Tinkyada by no measure!!!

    I’m really grateful Tinkyada was my first experience with Brown Rice Pasta cuz I realize it was easy to get right.

    I’ve tried to make TJ’s pasta twice now – once rinsing with cold and another rinsing with hot water as someone mentioned above and it’s the same – the water gets really cloudy, the pasta is chewy – I’m sticking with Tinkyada as much as I love TJ’s!

  8. Anna says

    September 11, 2011 at 5:07 pm

    I do not think it is the Tinkyada. The Trader Joe’s also does not say it is truly gluten free. I had it and reacted to it. So clearly it is being processed around gluten ingredients.

    • Carla @ Gluten Free Recipe Box says

      December 20, 2011 at 12:11 pm

      Anna,

      I had the same reaction, in that the package does not state gluten-free, so I just emailed them. I saw it listed on their no gluten list online.

  9. annie says

    March 11, 2012 at 7:52 pm

    i havent tried these noodles yet, but am wanting to now. i have a tip for cooking pasta — instead of rinsing the pasta with cold water, i just drain them and then dress then with my sauce.

  10. Liz says

    December 26, 2013 at 1:59 pm

    I’m not exclusively gluten-free (or even “very” gluten-free) but I like to mix it up now and then and eat both the TJ’s brown rice pasta, and the quinoa/corn pasta another poster mentioned. I actually prefer them to regular pasta. I don’t rinse the pasta after cooking unless I am making a cold dish. I find the key(s) when making either of these is to pour a good slug of olive oil into the cooking water, stir frequently, and then cook to al dente or even a little less. Or, cook for less time than the instructions SAY will get you to al dente (though the end result in that shorter time is, in my book, al dente.) The oil adds some calories but most of it gets discarded with the cooking water. It makes a huge difference in keeping these from sticking together, and if you cook to al dente the pasta maintains its integrity even after reheating.

  11. Brian Hitchcock says

    January 22, 2014 at 2:56 am

    I’m not such a stickler for texture; usually I just cook TJ’s brown rice pasta in a saucepan with not-quite-enough water until almost done, then pour it into the sauce or veggies I am already cooking in my cast iron skillet, along with some or all of the cooking water; and finish the cooking there.

    By the way, Trader Joe calls their twisted brown rice (and brown rice & quinoa) pasta “Fusilli”. This is silly. It’s really closer to Rotini, as it is made from twisted flat pasta rather than spiral tubular pasta.

  12. Jill Brock says

    February 16, 2014 at 9:26 am

    Trader Joe’s is the best gluten free pasta we have tried and certainly the most affordable. For $1.99 I get a full pound of pasta vs. $3.49 for 12 ounces everywhere else.

  13. reliance ricketts says

    February 13, 2015 at 7:31 pm

    I have purchased TJ’s quinoa/brown rice spaghetti shaped pasta within the past year…from a store in Redmond, WA. Is this shape still available? I hope so. I much prefer the quinoa/brown rice pasta over the straight brown rice.

  14. Gia says

    June 16, 2015 at 7:36 pm

    Just bought this pasta and have to try it soon. The best, by far, that I have loved is Bionature organic gluten free penne. Better than Barilla

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