Egg noodles are one of the best types of pasta for making hearty soups and comforting casseroles. They contain eggs (not surprising given the name!), but are they also gluten-free?
Egg noodles are NOT gluten-free because they contain wheat flour, which has gluten.
We’ll explain more about what egg noodles are, what they’re used for, gluten-free alternatives, and more!
What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten helps give grains a chewy texture, including pasta.
How much gluten is in wheat depends on the type of wheat used. Some types of wheat are “hard”, meaning they are higher in protein and gluten, while others are “soft” and are lower in protein/gluten.
The type of wheat used to make most types of pasta is durum wheat, which is high in protein and gluten.
What are egg noodles?
Egg noodles are a type of pasta made with flour and eggs, which sets them apart from other types of pasta (most pasta doesn’t contain eggs). Egg noodles have slightly more protein compared to regular enriched wheat pasta, but they’re only slightly lower in total carbs.
Egg noodles are popular for making soups, such as chicken noodle and stroganoff, as well as goulash. You can use egg noodles in all sorts of recipes, though – they’re quite versatile!
Are egg noodles gluten-free?
Egg noodles are usually made with regular all-purpose flour or durum wheat. That means they are NOT gluten-free since these flours are made from wheat, which contains gluten. However, you can find gluten-free varieties of egg noodles made with gluten-free flour.
Which types of pasta are gluten-free?
Since egg noodles aren’t gluten-free, which types of pasta should you use on a gluten-free diet?
Here are some of the most popular gluten-free pastas!
- Brown rice pasta
- Chickpea pasta
- Edamame pasta (made from soybeans)
- Gluten-free pasta made with a gluten-free flour blend
- Mung bean pasta
- Quinoa pasta
- Shirataki noodles
- Soba noodles (made from buckwheat, a gluten-free grain)
- Spiralized veggie “pasta”
FAQs:
Traditional egg noodles contain eggs, so they aren’t vegan-friendly. There are vegan egg noodle alternatives such as “egg-free ribbons” made with just flour.
Egg noodles contain wheat flour, which is not Paleo-friendly.
Egg noodles are high in carbohydrates (40 grams per serving), so they aren’t appropriate for a keto diet.
Soba noodles, shirataki noodles, brown rice pasta, and edamame pasta are all examples of gluten-free pasta. Many gluten-free and keto dieters also make “pasta” out of spiralized veggies like zucchini.
Potatoes are naturally gluten-free. Some potato products can contain hidden gluten, so always check the ingredient labels on processed potato products.
Corn tortillas are gluten-free because they are made from corn flour, not wheat flour.
Oatmeal is gluten-free (oats are a different plant species than wheat). However, some oatmeal is processed on equipment that also handles gluten, which can cross-contaminate the oats with low levels of gluten. For this reason, if you’re on a strict gluten-free diet you’ll want to choose certified gluten-free oats.
Rice does not contain gluten (only wheat, rye, and barley contain gluten).
Leave a Comment