Alfredo penne pasta with salted tomatoes

February 15, 2015 by Rah 2 Comments

Alfredo pasta with salted tomatoes

I don’t often eat gluten free pasta-type products but some days, I just crave that old pasta fix that holds something homely and comforting (comfort eating, isn’t it!). There are gluten free pastas and there are gluten free pastas! All I can suggest, if you are gluten free, is to read the labels and check that you are getting that which you are happy eating. Some are corn based, some are potato based and some are rice based. And they are all different, for sure.

Anyway onto this simple, gorgeous recipe. It’s the sort of meal that suits after an exhausting day when you can flop down on the couch in front of the TV with a bowl of pasta. (And for those of you who have small kids like I do, it’s not that straight forward, I know!).

 

Alfredo sauce: See here for an alternate cashew-based alfredo sauce…or below for my cauliflower one. I really love everything about cauliflower and its diversity at the moment, and it makes for a lovely, light, creamy, garlic-y sauce too!    (This is worth double or tripling if you are feeding a whole family).

2 cups cauliflower florets

2 garlic cloves, diced

1/2 leek, diced

1/3 cup non dairy milk

1/4 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper

 

Steam the cauliflower florets until well cooked. In a separate saucepan, saute the garlic and leek for a couple of minutes. Add cooked cauliflower florets, followed by seasoning and milk. Simmer for 10 minutes, and blend thoroughly into a creamy sauce.

*This is great to make in big batches (using  a whole cauliflower and freezing in portions so you can sneak it out for pasta, potato bakes or anything like that).

 

Pasta dish

Gluten free pasta

1/2 cup chopped fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

3/4 cup cherry tomatoes

salt

Alfredo sauce

 

Toss 3/4 cup of cherry tomatoes in a hot, dry saucepan with a generous sprinkling of rock salt until they begin to blister or show signs of cooking. (I like mine quite well cooked and soft, you may prefer yours less so).

Cook the gluten free pasta, drain, and toss in the pan with the tomatoes, fresh basil and spinach and stir through your alfredo sauce. Delicious and simple! 🙂