I've used a decent amount of garlic lately when cooking - and no one around here complains because we do love garlic.  However, I had the funniest conversation the other day with my two girls. 

Younger: Is there a lot of garlic in this? 

Older: Oooooh yeah. 

Younger: That's okay. Doesn't garlic make your breath smell good? 

Older: Uh, no. 

Me: Um, nope.

Younger: But mom told us that, I thought! 

Older: She was joking. 

Me: Yep. Sorry. [starts laughing]

Younger: Argh!!!! 

Despite this, they still love dishes with plenty of garlic, like this yummy pasta dish. If you make sure to cook your garlic nicely, it removes a lot of the spice and you're left with the wonderful garlic flavors.  Enjoy!

Easy peasy lemon squeezy pasta meal! 

Light & Easy Pasta with Garlic, Peas & Lemon

*You'll prepare the vegetables and noodles while you're making the sauce, then can toss everything together in the sauce pan.*

Steam Vegetables (peas (or broccoli) with option to add spinach)

*While you're boiling water and cooking pasta, below, prepare your steamed vegetables.*  

Add to a pot with a tight fitting lid:

1 cup peas OR 2 cups broccoli (if you prefer vs peas) 

Add ~1/2" water, and put on high heat, with lid on, until steam is visibly coming out.  Turn off the heat and leave the pot where-is until I'm ready to use.  *Drain before adding to the pasta/sauce.*

If you want use fresh or frozen diced spinach, you'll add this after the vegetables have cooked and sat ~5 minutes.  Just add:

 ~1/2 - 3/4 cup frozen diced spinach or 1 - 2 cups diced fresh spinach on top of the steamed vegetables and put the lid back on.  Let sit 2-3 minutes, then mix.  Put lid back on and leave until ready to drain and add to the pasta later.  *Make sure you drain this before adding to your pasta/sauce!*

Cook Pasta

Cook one package gluten-free pasta as directed on the package.  Make sure to taste, so it's to the softness you desire.  I find GF pasta typically needs an extra couple minutes of cooking.  Drain and rinse in cold water and set aside.  There are many kinds of GF pasta - personally, my favorite types are ones that include a mix of brown rice, white rice, corn, and quinoa.  I find these noodles give me the best texture and flavor.  But go with your favorite!

A couple tips that I find helpful when cooking GF pasta

1. Salt the water. I usually add about 1 Tbsp salt to my pot.

2. Taste before draining, since often it needs an extra couple minutes of cooking.  

3. Drain and rinse in cold water.  

Garlic & Lemon Sauce

In a large saucepan, heat over medium to medium-high heat:  

3 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

Add and cook until fragrant (~2 minutes):

1 - 2 bulbs garlic, peeled and thinly sliced (This is a lot of garlic, yes)

Salt & Pepper, a few dashes of both

My daughter: how much garlic did you put in this?  Me: two bulbs.  Her: oh. Okay. Wait, two BULBS?!!

Add and stir in quickly: 

~1/3 - 1/2 cup fresh juice from lemons (~1 1/2 lemons)

1 - 2 tsp dried oregano

1 - 2 tsp dried basil

Mix together, then add and mix in: 

1 cup cold chicken broth (you can use 1 cup water + 1 tsp GF bouillon paste)

2-3 tsp cornstarch

*If you don't have cold chicken broth, then mix your 2-3 tsp cornstarch with 1/8 - 1/4 cup cold water before adding.  

Whisk/stir sauce over medium heat until bubbling and the mixture has thickened slightly.  

Stirring in the cornstarch/broth mixture to thicken. 

Add in your steamed vegetables (peas (and spinach, if used)). 

Mixed in the steamed veggies from earlier. In this case here there are peas and a bit of spinach.

Turn off heat. Add and stir in: 

1/2 - 1 cup grated Parmesan

Yay for cheese!

Nicely mixed in and ready for the tomatoes.

Add and stir in: 

large handful grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced

Folding in some tomatoes - ready to add the pasta

Fold your drained pasta, from above. Season with additional salt & pepper, to taste. Enjoy! 

Light & Easy Pasta with Garlic, Peas & Lemon Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

 You can make this dish using fresh or frozen vegetables, which makes it nice and versatile.  The main thing you'll need fresh is the lemon, garlic and basil.  It's a nice, light dish that can be whipped up quickly.  Enjoy! 

 You can use the GF noodles of your choice, in this case a penne worked great with broccoli & spinach.

Summer Pasta Dish with Lemon, Garlic & Basil

*You'll prepare the vegetables and noodles at the same time, then use the noodle pot to made the light sauce and mix everything together.*

Steam Vegetables

*While you're boiling water and cooking pasta, below, prepare your steamed vegetables.*  

Add to a pot with a tight fitting lid:

3 cups fresh or frozen vegetables - mix and match broccoli, peas, and/or diced zucchini

Add ~1/2" water, and put on high heat, with lid on, until steam is visibly coming out.  Turn off the heat and leave the pot where-is until I'm ready to use.  

If you want use fresh or frozen diced spinach, you'll add this after the vegetables have cooked and sat ~5 minutes.  Just add:

 ~1/2 - 3/4 cup frozen diced spinach or 1 - 2 cups diced fresh spinach on top of the steamed vegetables and put the lid back on.  Let sit 2-3 minutes, then mix.  Put lid back on and leave until ready to drain and add to the pasta later.  *Make sure you drain this before adding to your pasta!*

Steamed, then rested a few minutes before adding some frozen diced spinach on top, then replaced the lid.  Once removing and draining, it's ready to add to the sauce and pasta at the end. 

Cook Pasta

Cook one package gluten-free pasta as directed on the package.  Make sure to taste, so it's to the softness you desire.  I find GF pasta typically needs an extra couple minutes of cooking.  Drain and rinse in cold water and set aside.  There are many kinds of GF pasta - personally, my favorite types are ones that include a mix of brown rice, white rice, corn, and quinoa.  I find these noodles give me the best texture and flavor.  But go with your favorite!

A couple tips that I find helpful when cooking GF pasta

1. Salt the water. I usually add about 1 Tbsp salt to my pot.

2. Taste before draining, since often it needs an extra couple minutes of cooking.  

3. Drain and rinse in cold water.  

Light Garlic, Lemon & Basil Sauce

Once you've drained and rinsed your pasta and set it aside, add to your large pot over medium heat: 

3 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

Add and cook until fragrant (~1-2 minutes):

1 Tbsp minced garlic

Salt & Pepper, a few dashes of both

Add and stir in quickly: 

2 - 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Mix together, then add and mix in: 

1 cup cold chicken broth (you can use 1 cup water + 1 tsp GF bouillon paste)

2-3 tsp cornstarch

*If you don't have cold chicken broth, then mix your 2-3 tsp cornstarch with 1/8 - 1/4 cup cold water before adding.  

Whisk/stir sauce over medium heat until bubbling and the mixture has thickened slightly.  

Thickening the sauce - ready to toss it all together.  The lemon-garlic smell is fabulous.

Add the following and toss together: 

cooked, rinsed and drained pasta

steamed vegetables, drained

1/2 - 1 cup grated parmesan

3 Tbsp roughly sliced fresh basil

salt & pepper, to taste  - I just usually serve some on the side in case anyone wants to add some

In this case, I'd added and mixed in the vegetables and basil, then added the noodles and cheese.  The recipe is very forgiving - so just go with what works for you!

Tossed and ready to serve.

Another days version - peas and broccoli with spaghetti pasta. 

Summer Pasta Dish with Lemon, Garlic & Basil Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

 This is the most delicious pasta bake to make with the fresh squash and pumpkin in season right now.  I love buttercup, turban, acorn, pie pumpkins. All will work perfectly for this recipe.  I slice them in half, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and bake them face-down on a tray at 375 until softened.  I've previously posted a couple easy ways to make homemade pumpkin/squash puree, pumpkin seeds, and links to my pumpkin/squash recipes.  Cool a bit, then scoop out the seeds (those are compost/trash).  Then scoop out all that lovely cooked squash/pumpkin to use in pumpkin recipes of your choice!   This is a lovely vegetable-filled pumpkin pasta bake.  Friends and family have loved it.  Enjoy! 

Fresh pumpkin pasta bake, ready to eat!

Yum!!! Cheesy and full of vegetables. 

A-maz-ing Pumpkin Pasta Bake

Preheat oven to 375 F.  

Noodles:

(I boil the water and cook the noodles while I'm making the sauce)

Prepare noodles while you're cooking the sauce.  Cook most of the way in slightly salted water (1-2 minutes less boiling time since they will bake in the oven): 

400 g GF fusilli pasta OR preferred shape

Drain and rinse noodles, setting aside until needed.  

Sauce:

Sauté over medium heat ~5-7 minutes: 

1 Tbsp olive oil (plain or chipotle-infused olive oil)

2-3 Tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

2-3 cups zucchini, cut into large bite-sized chunks

3/4 tsp freeze-dried thyme OR 2 tsp fresh, minced thyme

3/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

3/4 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp salt

Add, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant: 

3 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 green onions, sliced

Don't be confused by the lack of green edges on this zucchini.  The zucchini my friend gave us was enormous, so the skin was thick. I just sliced off the skin and diced the zucchini.  

Add: 

2 cups chicken stock/broth OR 2 cups water + 2 tsp chicken bouillon or Asian mushroom seasoning

1 - 1 1/2 cup fresh cooked pie pumpkin or squash (buttercup, acorn, etc) OR canned 100% pumpkin

Simmering vegetables, plus cooking pasta on the next burner.  

Simmer ~10 minutes.  Mix together in a small bowl, and add into the pot to thicken: 

1/2 cup milk or 10% cream

2 Tbsp cornstarch

Thickened and ready for spinach and cheese. 

After thickening the sauce, remove from heat.  Stir in: 

1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach OR 2 cups fresh spinach, diced

1 cup mozzarella, grated

1/2 cup fresh parmesan, grated

Diced frozen spinach, mozzarella and parmesan. Yum!

Ready to mix with the cooked pasta. 

Stir in cooked noodles, from above.   Put into a 9" x 13" glass baking dish (or fold them together IN the 9 x 13 pan).  Divide among the top: 

1/2 - 2/3 cup ricotta

Ricotta divided across the pasta bake. 

Sprinkle with: 

1/2 cup fresh parmesan, grated

Sprinkled with parmesan, ready to bake!

Bake for ~20 minutes at 375F.  Serve and enjoy!!! 

You can cook it until it's just barely browning on the top, or give a few extra minutes if you'd like a more crispy cheesy top.  Either way is delicious. 

A-maz-ing Pumpkin Pasta Bake Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Homemade Cheesy GF Hamburger Helper

Sometimes, it's nice to make a comfort food meal on a chilly evening.  Packed with fresh ingredients, this homemade cheesy hamburger helper isn't the usual sort of thing I make, but it was a fun change and my kids loved it and have requested it several times since.  I based it loosely off a Bon Appetit recipe, then tweaked things a bit.  Enjoy!

A comfort food dish - with plenty of leftovers for the next night, too!

Homemade Cheesy GF Hamburger Helper

(I like to start boiling my pot of water for the noodles now, so they're ready to throw in when the sauce needs to simmer)

Cook over medium heat 3-4 minutes:
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced

Add and cook until browned:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Add and cook 3-4 minutes:
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large orange bell pepper (yellow or red will work - green can be too bitter)

Add the following - once it's boiling lower to a simmer over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes:
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp GF soy sauce (I like Bragg's Soy Seasoning)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 - 1 tsp garlic powder

While your sauce is simmering, cook in salted water (1-2 Tbsp salt in your big pot of water), then drain and rise:
16 oz gluten-free pasta of your choice (I like ones made with a mix of brown rice, quinoa, and corn)

Once your sauce has simmered, remove from heat and stir in gently:
2 cups grated Mexican cheese blend OR grated cheddar cheese
1/3 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper, to taste

Stirring the cheese into the sauce. 

Stir/fold cooked, drained & rinsed noodles into the sauce.  Serve and enjoy!

Tasty and filling - a comfort food type dish. 

A happy girl and her brother after cooking this dish mostly on her own! 

Homemade Cheesy Gluten Free Hamburger Helper by Successfully Gluten Free! 

Our Favorite Fried Noodles with Vegetables (and shrimp or chicken)

This is a dish I experimented with many times until I came up with a version I was really happy with.   You can use white or brown rice vermicelli noodles (although the white noodles tend to hold together better during frying).  We always loved getting fried noodles at the farmer's market, but I wanted a way to make them gluten-free and with more vegetables.  You can throw in any sort of meat you like, but I tend to use either shrimp or chicken when I whip this up.  The fried noodles have gotten rave reviews (and requests) since I first served them up.  It's a great summer dish when a wide variety of fresh vegetables are in season.  Enjoy!

Fried Noodles with Veggies - you can serve as-is or add shrimp or chicken! 

Fried Noodles with Vegetables (and Shrimp)

Bring water to a boil in a large pot.
Add:
1/2 - 1 package white or brown rice vermicelli noodles (depending on how many you want to serve. I make 1/2 package to serve ~4)
Let noodles boil for 1 minute at a rolling boil.  Remove from heat.  Drain and rinse well with water to remove starch.

Place noodles in a large bowl and mix with:
4 Tbsp avocado oil (or similar oil good for high-heat cooking)
4 Tbsp GF soy sauce (liquid Bragg's soy seasoning)

Set noodles aside while you cook the vegetables.

In a wok or similar large frying pan, saute over medium-high to high heat for 2-3 minutes:
2-3 Tbsp avocado oil (or similar oil good for high-heat cooking)
1/2 - 1 onion, sliced
1-2 carrots, thinly sliced

Add, and saute an additional 2-3 minutes:
1/2 celery root, thinly sliced & chopped to bite size pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 - 1 cup mushrooms, finely diced

Add and cook 1 minute:
1 cup broccoli, chopped to bite-sized pieces.

Place vegetables in a large serving dish.

In small batches, fry noodles in additional oil 2-3 minutes.  Once fried, place noodles on top of hot vegetables.

Once all noodles are fried, in pan heat 1-2 minutes:
1 Tbsp oil
1-2 Tbsp GF soy sauce
1-2 cups cooked chicken, diced 
OR
1-2 cups cooked shrimp (thawed, deveined, no shell)

Put shrimp or chicken on top of noodles.  Toss together.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!!!

Amazing Summer Vegetable Pasta Sauce

The veggies are rolling in!  We love it! We've been so lucky to have an amazing and wide variety of vegetables each week from Heartbeet Organics on PEI.  They are fabulous! You can get their stuff at the farmer's market Wednesdays and Saturdays if you're on PEI.  However, with a bit of searching, I hope you'll be able to locate a mix of fresh vegetables wherever you are.  You can tweak ingredients, if necessary, but the mix of fresh zucchini, eggplant, cherry tomatoes and onions really makes this dish burst with flavor.  Leftover pasta and sauce (mixed together) was great even when we had it as leftovers the next day! Enjoy!

The sauce is packed with fresh vegetables that cook and then simmer together to create a wonderfully rich sauce.  We had multi-colored cherry tomatoes, which added an extra bit of color into the mix.

Amazing Summer Vegetable Pasta Sauce
Serves ~6

In a large frying pan over medium to medium-high heat, cook the following for 2-3 minutes:
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
handful onion greens (or green onion), diced
1-2 tsp garlic, minced

Add and cook 7-10 minutes over medium heat:
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small green zucchini, diced
1 small yellow zucchini/summer squash, diced
1 very small eggplant, diced
1 small purple bell pepper (or other colored small bell pepper), diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp dried oregano
1-2 tsp dried basil

Fresh color veggies, being sauteed.  The smell was divine!

Add then lower heat and simmer 10-15 minutes:
1 cup organic canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 - 1 tsp beef bouillon paste (make sure it's GF)
2 tsp Worchestershire sauce

Delicious, fresh sauce ready to eat!

Serve over gluten-free pasta (boiled and rinsed) or mix pasta into sauce.
Great on its own or served with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!  

Easy Homemade Pasta!!!

You can make delicious homemade gluten-free pasta at home with just a few simple kitchen items - a bowl, a rolling pin, a pizza cutter (or knife).   I used the recipe in the 'Artisanal Gluten-Free cook book' by Bronski & Bronski as inspiration, but made some alterations along the way in terms of measurements, mixing and cooking.  However, it was a great starting point, and led me to this delicious recipe.  I have (and will continue) to play around with the pasta maker I received as a gift, but at present I find the best noodles are still the ones made by rolling out the dough as thinly as possible and then slicing with a pizza cutter.   The egg in the recipe gives the pasta a rich flavor which is tasty to eat on it's own, or with a light topping like butter and Parmesan cheese.  It was a big hit with the whole family. Enjoy!

Homemade gluten-free pasta noodles, ready to boil

Homemade gluten-free pasta with homemade spinach (nut-free) pesto! Delicious!

Homemade Pasta!
Serves 4

Have an extra 1/2 Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix set aside for kneading and rolling out your dough.

Combine in a bowl:
2 1/2 cups Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
4 eggs, whisked

It's best to incorporate the flour slowly to avoid lumps.  You can use your fingers or a spoon or fork (I tend to just use the fork I whisked the eggs with - less to clean!)

Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a floured surface 1-2 minutes, adding a bit more flour if it gets sticky.

Roll 1/3 - 1/2 batch of dough at a time on a flour surface until the dough is as thin as you can make it (I tend to use a back and forth rolling motion to get the dough extra thin).  You'll need to add a little extra flour to the top and bottom of the dough occasionally to avoid sticking since you'll be rolling the dough very thin (~1/16").

Once you have the dough rolled as thinly as possible, slice strips of dough using your pizza cutter (or knife).  You can use a ruler if you're picky about how evenly sized your noodles are, but I tend to just ballpark it.   Set noodles aside either on a pasta hanger or just neatly in small piles until you're ready to boil your pasta.

Gluten-free pasta dough rolled really really thin and then sliced fairly evenly with a pizza cutter. It's so quick! 

While waiting to boil, I hung the pasta on a pasta rack, but because it's floured if you put it in small piles, it will be perfectly fine before boiling.

Bring water to boil in a large pot over high heat (I fill halfway).  Add 1 Tbsp salt to the water.   Once water is at a rolling boil, you can add the pasta.  Stir occasionally to avoid sticking to the pot.   Once the water is back to a boil (~30-45 seconds), set a timer for 2-4 minutes.  You may need to lower the heat slightly so it doesn't boil over. Watch closely! The pasta cooks rapidly, so start taste-testing after 2 minutes to make sure you get the texture you want.  Fresh pasta has a chewier taste than the dried stuff, but don't let it cook more than 5 minutes or it can get sticky.

Drain pasta and rinse in cold water to remove extra starch.  Serve with your favorite sauce, pesto, or butter & Parmesan.

Some suggestions are below:
Kale & Basil Pesto (nut free)
Spinach Pesto (nut free)
Light Bolognaise Sauce
Red & Green Sauce with Meatballs
Meaty Sauce with Spinach, Garlic & Basil
Spaghetti Sauce with Veggies
Alfredo Cream Sauce

A Lighter Flavored Homemade Veggie Bolognaise Sauce

This is a wonderful, and easy meaty pasta sauce you can throw together in no time!  It's perfect for summer, since it's lighter than a traditional bolognaise sauce.  It's packed with veggies, too!  It's great with any GF pasta, or you can even use it on top of pizza in lieu of regular spaghetti sauce.

Served over gluten-free penne pasta.

Homemade Veggie-filled Bolognaise Sauce
Serves 6-8

Heat in a large pot or large high-sided saucepan over medium heat:
1/4 - 1/3 cup olive oil

Cook until just starting to soften:
1 large onion, finely diced

Add, cooking 3-4 minutes:
1-2 large carrots, grated

Add, cooking until browned:
1 lb. lean ground beef

Mix in, cooking 1 minute:
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil

Push beef/veggies to the side of the pan.  Cook in the middle 1-2 minutes, until fragrant:
2 tsp minced garlic

Add, stirring til combined:
1 can tomato sauce
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt (best to adjust to desired taste near the end of cooking)

Mix in:
2-3 big handfuls baby spinach (diced, if desired)

Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for 1/2 hour.  You can let this simmer longer, but the taste is great after 1/2 hour.  Salt and pepper, to taste before serving. 

Packed with veggies, and full of taste! 

Serve over a gluten-free pasta of your choice.  Great with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy! 

Lobster Mac N' Cheese

This is a wonderful sauce, which works great over a gluten-free pasta.  It's so easy to whip together, too, but the result is a fabulous gourmet meal! Delicious!  It's wonderful served with toasted GF sourdough bread topped with garlic butter with a side salad for a restaurant-worthy meal.  We made this delicious dish when my mom and brother were visiting and it was a hit with everyone. Enjoy!!!

We made this dish with bacon-wrapped scallops for a delicious PEI feast!

Lobster Mac N' Cheese
Serves 4-6

Boil a large pot of water and cook 1 box Gluten-Free Pasta in salted water.  Rinse with cold water, and mix with cheesy lobster sauce.

While water is boiling/pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce:

In a large frying pan or medium saucepan over medium heat, cook until tender:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 vidalia (sweet) onion, chopped finely

Add, stirring constantly for 1 minute:
1/8 - 1/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix (less flour makes a runnier sauce, more makes a thicker one)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground pepper

Add in slowly, stirring constantly
2 cups milk (2% lactose-free works great)

Once mixture has thickened and is nice and smooth (about 5-7 minutes), add:
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese

Add:
1/3 lb cooked lobster meat, chopped 
sprinkle of paprika (optional)

Just so you can see the lovely lobster meat... 

Mix sauce with cooked, drained pasta and serve. Enjoy!

This summer, we've got a plethora of wonderful, organic veggies coming our way from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program with Heartbeet Organics here on Prince Edward Island.  It only seemed proper to put the beautiful purple kale, spinach and green onions/scallions from this week to use in a tasty summer dish! While homemade pesto is wonderful, the basil plants they gave me aren't quite big enough to make pesto yet, so I find it's easier to use the ready-made kind in order to whip together delicious meals, or BBQ side-dishes like this one.  (Don't worry mom, we'll make some nut-free pesto this summer for you when you visit!)   We like this salad plain, but since I live in PEI, land of lobster, it seemed appropriate to put some fresh cooked lobster meat on top of this salad. You can serve it with shrimp as well.  Sprinkled with a few dashes of tabasco sauce, and it was fabulous! Enjoy!

We had it the next day topped with lobster & a few dashes of tabasco sauce. Delicious!

A yummy pesto salad made with increased amount of of pesto/mayo, as suggested below and using celery instead of peas.  Delicious served immediately while warm, or you can chill before serving. 

Pesto Pasta Salad (w/ Lobster or Shrimp)

Serves 6-8

Cook ~700 g gluten-free fusilli pasta in salted water, as directed on package (I used 2 packages of 340g Catelli GF Fusilli Pasta).  I recommend tasting a noodle to make sure it's to your desired taste.  I find gluten-free pasta often needs extra cook time.  Drain, rinsing with cold water.

Mix pasta with:
3 Tbsp lemon-infused olive oil (OR 1 Tbsp lemon juice & 3 Tbsp olive oil)
2-3 Tbsp green pesto

While pasta is cooking you can prep the following:

In a small bowl, mix together: (* This amount makes a lighter sauce on the pasta, double, triple or quadruple this if you want a creamier salad)
3-4 Tbsp green pesto
1 Tbsp lemon juice
4 Tbsp mayonnaise
3/4 tsp fresh ground salt
3/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Have ready to mix into the pasta:
1 - 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed OR 1 - 1 1/2 cups diced celery
1 cup fresh spinach, stems removed & chopped
1 cup fresh purple kale, stems removed & chopped
1 - 2 Tbsp finely diced scallions/green onions

Gently toss pasta together with veggies & sauce.  Add additional salt/pepper, as desired.  You can serve this plain OR top with one of the following:

Fresh cooked lobster meat, chopped coarsely
OR
Fresh shrimp (shell-off), brushed with lemon-infused olive oil and BBQ'd until pink

Sprinkle with a few dashes of tabasco sauce, to serve.  Enjoy!

Ready to serve!  This is great b/c since you've already run the GF noodles under cold water, you don't need to wait for your dish to chill before serving. 

Pesto Pasta Salad (with Lobster or Shrimp) by Successfully Gluten Free!

Red & Green Pasta w/ Italian Meatballs

The one thing I've discovered is that the Delicious Italian Meatballs freeze wonderfully and can be used anytime to spice up a pasta dish or throw into a meatball sub.  In this recipe, I use 1/2 a batch of the meatballs.  So, you can prep them on the day, or make them in advance and freeze (or refrigerate) them to use in this recipe.  A great weeknight dish when you want something you can throw together, but that's packed with veggies.  This pasta sauce is also fun because it's filled with big bits of brightly colored greens which contrast with the red of the tomatoes.  Served over spaghetti and it's a fabulous meal! You can even serve with a side of steamed peas for extra green in your meal. And yes, you can make it without the meatballs and it'll still be a veggie-filled tasty sauce. Enjoy!

Still steaming and ready to eat!

Red & Green Pasta w/ Italian Meatballs
Sauce serves 4-6

Set a large pot of water boiling to cook GF spaghetti of your choice.  I used Catelli GF spaghetti (340g).

Heat in a large (low-sided) saucepan over medium heat:
2 Tbsp olive oil

Add and cook 1-2 minutes:
1/2 onion, diced

Add and cook until zucchini softens (3-4 minutes):
1 small-medium zucchini, chopped
salt + pepper

Once zucchini has softened, move onions/zucchini to the sides of the pan.  In the center cook 1 minute:
1 1/2 - 2 tsp minced garlic

Stir to combine.  Add:
1/2 batch pre-cooked Delicious Italian Meatballs (~12 meatballs)
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce (I prefer Classico 4 cheese in this recipe, but use your favorite)

Cook until simmering, then add:
2 handfuls baby spinach, roughly chopped

Simmer an additional 5 minutes (or more) until your pasta is ready to go.  If you used frozen meatballs, you may need to chop them in half to get them thoroughly heated.

Look at all those nice green veggies and meatballs

Serve over GF spaghetti with fresh basil on top.

For extra veggies, serve with steamed peas on the side.  Enjoy!

Everyone loved this with steamed peas on the side. It complimented the sauce nicely.