Is Acini De Pepe Gluten-Free?
Acini de pepe is not gluten-free. However, like most varieties of pasta, there are brands that sell gluten-free recipes. If you’re following a celiac diet, you can still eat acini de pepe, you will just need to be careful on which brand you buy.
Brands like Farabella and Musco Food Corp. sell a gluten-free version. Yet, many people who follow a strict celiac diet claim the gluten-free version is difficult to find at most grocery stores. People typically have to order gluten-free acini de pepe online or find it in a specialty shop.
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Semolina flour is used in most generic acini de pepe recipes, and this type of flour has traces of wheat. If you are on a gluten-free diet, you need to avoid semolina flour.
About Acini De Pepe
Acini de pepe is a tiny round pasta, that’s shaped like little balls. They are most commonly used in Italian soup recipes, but can be found in other soups and a variety of different salads. These tiny cylinders are approximately 1 mm in size. A lot of people view them as a comfort food, mainly because of the different soups they are associated with.
The name acini de pepe is Italian. It means “seed of pepper” which is basically what these little pasta cylinders look like. When they are fully cooked, they are no bigger than a peppercorn. There was an old wive’s tale that the acini de pepe pasta was used for fertility. This is why it’s a necessary ingredient in Italian soup.
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One of the reasons why acini de pepe is a popular ingredient for soups is that they absorb flavor extremely well. If they sit around in a broth, they end up acting like little bursts of flavor once you consume them. A splash of white wine in the broth or even a bay leaf, can leave the acini de pepe with a delightful flavor.
Ingredients
These are the ingredient to a generic acini de pepe recipe:
- Semolina flour
- Ferrous sulfate
- Durum flour
- Riboflavin
- Niacin
- Folic acid
- Thiamin mononitrate
However, if you are lucky enough to find a gluten-free version of acini de pepe, it will likely be made from rice, corn, and mineral water.
Nutritional Information
The following chart shows the nutritional information for a generic box of acini de pepe. This is for a 1/3 cup serving size, which is approximately 56 grams. This nutritional chart is based on a daily diet of 2000 calories.
| Calories | 200 calories (10 calories from fat) | |
| Total fat | 1 gram | 2 % daily value |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium | 0 mg | 0 % |
| Potassium | 105 mg | 3 % |
| Carbohydrates | 42 grams | 14 % |
| Fiber | 2 grams | 8 % |
| Sugar | 2 grams | |
| Protein | 7 grams |
| Vitamin A | 0 % |
| Vitamin C | 0 % |
| Calcium | 0 % |
| Iron | 10 % |
| Thiamin | 30 % |
| Riboflavin | 10 % |
| Niacin | 15 % |
| Folic acid | 25 % |