Product Review: Heartland Gluten Free Fusilli

Pasta is an absolute must-have for me. I was raised on the stuff. Most of the meals we ate while I was growing up centered around either rice or pasta. When I started my gluten free diet, one of my biggest fears was a life without good pasta. I’m so glad that I keep finding so many good pastas to eat. I don’t feel deprived at all :)

My latest find is Heartland Gluten Free fusilli. I had never heard of Heartland brand before, but I am always on the lookout for a new favorite. I think I’ve found one here. The package offers pasta made from a blend of rice and corn. It promises that you won’t be able to tell that it’s gluten free. I have to say that they are right.

Heartland Gluten Free fusilli is the same color as “regular” pasta. It doesn’t carry the yellow-orange of corn pasta, or the stark white of rice pasta. The taste and texture both use ninja stealth to appear like “regular” pasta too. This gluten free pasta tastes good, looks good and doesn’t shred the way some gluten free pastas do.

One thing that caused me a bit of concern was the allergy statement: ”Processed in a facility that uses wheat and egg” I looked on the website to get more information and found this statement:

”We follow the proposed rule in the Federal Register (72 FR 7295) that tests for gluten at the 20ppm level. While we do not have dedicated equipment for our Gluten Free pasta, we have a very detailed protocol in place to prevent cross contamination to ensure safety for consumption. Before we produce any Gluten Free pasta, a thorough cleaning of all equipment and surfaces occurs. In addition, several swab tests are done of primary surfaces to ensure the cleaning was done properly and safe to produce the Gluten Free pasta. The gluten level of the product is also verified to ensure that it does not exceed 20 ppm.”

Taking this into account made me feel much better about the product. I ate it (joyfully) and had no bad reactions.

I recommend Heartland Gluten Free fusilli, if for nothing else, for it’s al dente texture. I can’t wait to test it on unsuspecting dinner guests :)