Gluten-Free: Nantucket Pasta Goddess (Goddess Waves & Ravioli!)

Wheat pasta is one of the staple foods of most Americans' diets thus its loss is keenly felt by celiacs and the gluten-intolerant. For such a basic food, there is usually something lacking in (most) gluten-free pastas and it is difficult to get right when cooking, ending up either too mushy or too al dente. The taste and texture are usually a little... off.

Raw.  Fresh.

I was excited to see "Goddess Waves" by Nantucket Pasta Goddess in the freezer at the Acton food pantry.  It's only been there once -- I assume as an individual rather than corporate donation, though I'd love to be wrong -- and also the only non-boxed pasta I've ever seen from Pierce's Pantry. Actually, it's the only gluten-free pasta I've ever seen anywhere which is fresh or frozen so you can imagine my anticipation in getting to try it.

This was not like any other gluten-free pasta I've experienced. The long tubular waves of pasta bear some resemblance to thick spaghetti or round fettuccine but this is clearly a creation of the pasta goddess herself, Liliana Dougan. Raised in the Campania region of southern Italy on a small family farm and taught to cook using recipes that had been passed down for generations, she makes her artisan pasta in a dedicated kitchen on Nantucket Island with her own three children based on those original Italian recipes. Liliana introduced her business during the 2010 Nantucket Wine Festival, had a very successful summer of 2011 at the Sustainable Nantucket Farmer's Market, and is now busily distributing her pasta in Nantucket & the wider New England area. While it's genuine Italian food, it's truly local to Massachusetts as well -- and I think that makes this pasta even better.

"Goddess Waves" is a fresh pasta which should be eaten within two weeks from date of manufacture or frozen. There's a 100% satisfaction guarantee, but it isn't necessary. This pasta contains six different organic flours, thickener, eggs & seasoning which is removed from its biodegradable(!) package and prepared in two minutes. What comes out is an easily cooked gluten-free pasta of exceptional taste and texture.  Paired with a delicious gluten-free pasta sauce to which we added vegetables and my own mother's recipe for meatballs she was given by Sicilians, this was the best Italian meal I had since my pre-celiac days. Leftover pasta meant having it for lunch two days later with some chicken and a butter sauce which was just as good.

I remembered to take a picture this time!  Hooray!

Admittedly, I'm very enthusiastically intrigued about some of Nantucket Pasta Goddess's other offerings on her website. Tagliatelle, gnocchi, lasagna sheets... I have a special lasagna recipe I'm dying to try using fresh real pasta since my pasta sheet options have been a let-down throughout my gluten-free lasagna-making attempts. My favorite Italian pasta is ravioli, something that has been totally non-existent from any gluten-free pasta maker and therefore something I haven't enjoyed for about a half decade. Fresh wild mushroom goat cheese ravioli, particularly given my deep abiding love for mushrooms, completely blows my mind. I hear she makes scallop ravioli if you directly request it in Nantucket as well!

Cooked wild mushroom ravioli.  I must try this.

The only downside is that just like any handmade gourmet pasta regardless of its gluten-free status, this pasta is very expensive. "Goddess Waves" is $6.95 per 8 oz container, which does not really serve 2.5 people even if one of them is just shy of two years old. The wild mushroom goat cheese ravioli" is $9.95 for 10 ounces that feed 2 people and the lasagna sheets are $10.95 for 16oz of 3" wide x 8" long. I'm still aiming to try the latter two but I'm going to have to save up my pennies to do it. This is definitely special occasion pasta for my family -- despite this being one of the only gluten-free pastas my non-celiac partner has really liked -- and unfortunately probably most gluten-free families.

Nantucket Pasta Goddess is currently only found at community gluten-free, organic and health food markets in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine & Vermont with a few newer locations in New York and a single one in Michigan as well as restaurants in Nantucket and a smattering throughout New England. Thankfully they're starting to take online orders!

Of course, I'll report back when I get to try that ravioli and the lasagna sheets.