Alfredo penne pasta with salted tomatoes

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! 🙂

 

 

Alfredo zucchini pasta with dill and cherry tomatoes

Alfredo zucchini pasta with dill and cherry tomatoes

Today we hit 140 blog posts and 20,000 visitors to the site. Thanks for your support everyone, I’m glad many of you enjoy the recipes…I surely am enjoying this journey too!

This is a cracker of a fresh, healthy ‘pasta’ fix. Zucchinis are not Dave’s favourite veggie but they are incredibly versatile (like cauliflower!) and to turn it into pasta – whether by spiralizing it or making “ribbons” with a peeler – is a gorgeous idea.

The cashew cream is equally gorgeous – creamy and garlicky and very easy to make.

I used leek, cherry tomatoes and broccolini for some veggies with fresh dill as a flavouring – of course, with the basics of zuchinni pasta and cashew cream you can do whatever you like.

Sun dried tomatoes and basil?

Mushroom and thyme?

Hope you enjoy this one, we did.

For the pasta:

3 spiralised zucchinis (alternatively, you can use a peeler and peel them finely. This works well too.)

1 tsp salt

For the sauce:

1 cup soaked raw cashews (best soaked overnight, but alternatively a couple of hours)

1 cup water

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 T fresh dill, chopped

salt and pepper

For the veggies:

1 cup fresh cherry tomatoes

1 cup broccolini

1/4 cup yellow capsicum (for colour effect!)

2 spring onions, chopped

1 leek, chopped

Pasta:

Spiralize/peel the zucchini into slithers and toss in salt. Leave to sit whilst preparing other ingredients to draw the water out. When ready to use, squeeze the excess water out and drain.

Sauce:

After soaking cashews, drain, and process in a food processor until smooth (but not cashew butter). Add in remaining sauce ingredients until a thick, smooth sauce has formed.

Dinner:

Saute the leek for a couple of minutes. Add in cherry tomatoes and capsicum, toss the zucchini pasta through and add the appropriate amount of cashew sauce for your preference. Serve with fresh broccolini and spring onions.

Toasted pine nuts would be superb too!