As the awareness of celiac disease and other gluten intolerance increases, people are wise enough to know the need to avoid gluten if it triggers any allergic reaction in their bodies.
Such people know the importance of avoiding foods containing protein gluten, such as rye, barley, and wheat.
It was easy to rule out foods containing gluten for so long since it was as simple as avoiding typical wheat products, including pasta and bread.
However, the new trend of using it for thickening as an additive means you can find gluten even in food you wouldn’t think could have the ingredient.
It explains the need to be vigilant when ruling out gluten-free food items.
For instance, most vodka sauces don’t contain gluten.
However, you may choose one of the exceptions, hence the need to pay attention to the ingredients and, more so, labels.
Most countries have laws demanding that one labels products as gluten-free or otherwise.
So, read such labels to be safe despite most vodka sauces lacking this allergic ingredient.
What Are the Common Ingredients of Gluten-Free Vodka Sauce?
As the name suggests, it is a vodka-based sauce among the most popular pasta sauces.
Besides vodka, the sauce contains other ingredients, such as tomatoes and cream.
Thanks to its richness and flavor, it is commonly used on various pasta dishes.
Vodka sauce also contains spices, including basil and marjoram.
Its other ingredients include gluten-free pasta water, parmesan cheese, salted butter, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil.
If you want a spicy vodka sauce, ensure you add crushed red pepper flakes.
On the other hand, introducing heavy cream gives you a gluten-free vodka cream sauce.
This variant is known for its flavor, which often surpasses typical vodka sauce.
Which Brands Offer Gluten-free Vodka Sauces?
Whereas most vodka sauces are gluten-free, the ones containing gluten demand that you be careful when choosing one.
There are various brands known for processing gluten-free vodka sauces.
They include the following;
- Rao’s Homemade
- Emeril’s
- Classico
- Bertolli
Another brand that produces gluten-free vodka sauce is Newman’s Own.
One of its ingredients is nonfat dried milk, but it is gluten-free regardless.
Nevertheless, its factory has a high risk of cross-contamination; hence the need to be careful when consuming it.
After all, even the slightest amount of gluten can make your body react badly, especially if your intolerance is severe.
What Are the Alternatives to the Gluten-Free Vodka Pasta Sauce?
You can try out the following gluten-free pasta sauces if you are not for the vodka flavor.
Rao’s Pasta Sauce
As mentioned, Rao’s is one of the most popular companies producing gluten-free pasta.
It is manufactured in a different factory to avoid cross-contamination from its other products, such as pasta.
Interestingly, Rao’s has never documented its pasta sauce as gluten-free despite confirmation of the same by its representative.
Pomi Pasta Sauce
Since its only ingredient is tomatoes, the Pomi pasta sauce is naturally non-gluten.
Unfortunately, cross-contamination is possible since it is produced with other gluten-containing products.
Nevertheless, the company tries to avoid cross-contamination but is unsure whether the efforts are 100% effective.
Organico Bello Pasta Sauce
Besides having non-gluten ingredients, it has also gone further to label it gluten-free.
Organico Bello is also certified organic and non-GMO.
Its pasta sauces come in 5 flavors, including Delicate Recipe, Kale Tomato Basil, Tomato Basil, Marinara, and Spicy Marinara.
Nevertheless, there are chances of cross-contamination with gluten and allergens from other products it produces.
Muir Glen Organic Pasta Sauce
The great thing about this company is how it labels its sauces.
If it is gluten-free, the label will state that and vice versa.
After all, gone are the days when its options only had gluten-free pasta sauces.
Emeril’s Pasta Sauce
This company makes various sauces; out of the list of 9, 5 flavors are gluten-free.
They include Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Chunky Marinara Sauce, Kicked Up Tomato Sauce, Tomato & Basil Sauce, and Roasted Gaaahlic Sauce.
On the other hand, its Vodka Sauce, Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce, Four Cheese Alfredo Sauce, and Homestyle Marinara contain gluten.
Remember that some also have soybean oil, hence unsuitable for people with soy sensitivity.
Amy’s Kitchen Pasta Sauce
None of the pasta sauce from Amy’s kitchen contains gluten.
It offers four flavors: Light in Sodium Tomato Basil, Light in Sodium Family Marinara, and Tomato Basil and Family Marinara.
If you want 100% gluten-free sauces, the best places to sauce them include the following;
- Rao’s Specialty Foods
- Organicville
- Organico Bello
- Francesco Rinaldi
- Eden Foods
- Dei Frattelli
- Contadina
- Amy’s Kitchen
The rest of the brands often make them in the same manufacturing lines they use for sauces and products with gluten.
Consequently, there are high chances of cross-contamination, enough to cause reactions.
Tips When Using Vodka Sauces
If you want to stick to a gluten-free diet, consider these tips when enjoying your vodka sauces.
- Your gluten-free vodka sauce won’t make much difference if you use it on pasta containing gluten.
- So, avoid serving the vodka sauce on pasta made of wheat flour or semolina to avoid consuming gluten.
- On the contrary, ensure that you serve it with pasta that’s also labeled gluten-free.
- Alternatively, you can go for spaghetti squash, polenta, quinoa, or rice, among other gluten-free alternatives.
The tips help you avoid gluten.
What Else Can You Use Instead of Vodka?
Since it is vodka sauce due to its vodka, the name goes as soon as this ingredient is out of the picture.
However, one must admit that not everyone will be comfortable with vodka due to its alcoholic nature.
For such cases, a mixture of water and lemon juice can replace the vodka in the sauce.
If alcohol isn’t an issue, you can exchange vodka with dry white wine.
Nevertheless, don’t expect the same flavor as the vodka sauce, but that doesn’t mean the sauces aren’t delicious.
Remember that vodka sauce doesn’t contain much alcohol.
Therefore, the heat that cooks this sauce is enough to evaporate; hence, there is no need to worry about consuming alcohol in the name of the sauce.
Nevertheless, it isn’t advisable to eat vodka sauce if you are pregnant or nursing.
That’s where the water and lemon juice come in to ensure your sauce doesn’t do more harm than good.