PESTO SHRIMP WITH GLUTEN FREE PASTA

I love me some pasta and this is one of my easiest recipes. If you are hungry or dealing with some 'hangry' company/kids this is the fastest and easiest meal to get on the table. The longest part of this recipe is waiting for the water to boil, after that it's done in 10 minutes. I'm not celiac but I like using gluten free pasta whenever I can. In this case I used qunioa pasta (my fav gluten free kind of noodle) because it is easier to digest plus its a complex carb (1 part protein to 2 part carbs) making your noodles that much healthier for you. I also find that taste and texture wise it's the closest to regular aldente wheat pasta from a box. Enjoy! 

Serves 2 Adults

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 TBSP of Olive Oil
2 TBSP of Butter
1 Clove of Garlic (minced)
1 Shallot (Finely chopped)
15-20 Shrimp (de-vained and shell removed)
Pre-made Pesto*
Quinoa Pasta
Salt to taste
Parmesan Cheese (garnish)

*make sure it's gluten free

DIRECTIONS:

Bring a pot of water to a boil add 1-2 TSP of salt and your quinoa pasta. You have to stir quinoa pasta for the first two minutes so that it doesn't stick together. Continue to cook for another 8-10 minutes for aldente.

Add olive oil and butter to a skillet and allow to heat up on medium heat before adding in your garlic and shallots.

Once shallots become transparent add in your shrimp and pesto. Mix and allow the shrimp to cook until pink.

Once pasta is aldente remove 3-4 TBSP of water from the pot and set aside. Drain the remaining pasta water and add the pasta into the skillet with the shrimp and pesto. Mix well so that the pasta is well coated.

If you need a little more liquid to cook the pasta a little more add in the pasta water you set aside now. This will also help remove anything stuck to the bottom of the skillet.

Twirl pasta and plate. Add shrimps from the skillet and garnish is pesto sauce and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Bon Appetite!!!

SPAGHETTI SQUASH PESTO

 

Spaghetti squash is actually super easy to make it just takes more time then wheat based pasta. If time is not a factor it is a great way to have a gluten free meal that taste great. This recipe is for a spaghetti squash pesto pasta but you can technically make the sauce whatever you want using the same principles. If you want to simplify the recipe even more you can buy a pre-made pesto sauce. If you are cooking for a group of more then two people this can be a very economical healthy meal to make as the ingredients wont cost you very much. 

INGREDIENTS

1 Spaghetti Squash around 3lbs
1 Small Jar of Pre-made Pesto
1 Block of Parmesan Cheese

If you want fresh pesto here are ingredients you will need

1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
3 Cups of Basil
2 Cloves of Garlic
1/4 Cup of Pine Nuts
3/4 Cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Throw in the spaghetti squash whole for about 60 minutes.

Remove the spaghetti squash from the oven and cut in half and take out the seeds.

If the spaghetti squash is not cooked/stringy enough place back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

While the squash is in the oven you can either start to make your pesto or use a pre-made pesto. Warm up the pre-made pesto in a skillet or place the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped before adding in the olive oil continuing until fully incorporated. Next move to a bowl and add in the Parmesan and salt and pepper - Mix them in.

Finally once the squash is ready remove from the oven and start to shred the inside of the squash with a fork and place it in the skillet or bowl with the pesto. Mix the two together to the pesto and squash is evenly distributed.  Serve.

 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

QUINOA PASTA WITH BACON, SPINICH AND GOAT CHEESE - GLUTEN FREE OPTION

I originally found this sauce recipe on Pinterest (I'm a huge pinner) and I am always nervous to try them. When it comes to food on Pinterest everything always looks appetizing but I feel like itsbecause of the photography not necessarily because of the taste. I see a photo and my imagination and pallet start to imagine what it would taste like. I obviously subconsciously imagine what I want it to taste like more then it probably does in reality. This recipe was one of those pleasantly surprising ones that matched my taste buds imagination. Although I altered some ingredients and ingredient portions it essentially takes the same foundation and I recommend you go further and try to make it your own (by like adding chilly flakes for example).

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 Packs of Quinoa Spaghetti Pasta
1 Pack of Bacon cut into 1 inch width
1 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
1 TBSP Maple Syrup
10 oz Baby Spinach - washed (this will later shrink down so don't worry if you think it is a lot)
10-14 OZ Goat Cheese (4 OZ will be used for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

Boil water for the pasta in a large pot. Add salt when it comes to a boil and let it dissolve for a minute before adding in the pasta.

While you wait for the water to boil, in a large skillet start cooking the bacon. Cook the bacon on a high heat until the edges of the bacon get crisp and brown then reduce the heat and continue to cook until all the bacon has become crispy and the fat has been rendered. You can remove the bacon from the skillet and set it aside in a bowl. You will need the bacon in a second. Do not though away the grease.

**You may think there is a lot of bacon grease left in the pan but this will be the base of your sauce so you can remove some but leave at least 3/4 of it in the skillet.

Next turn the heat up on the stove and add it your red wine vinegar. This may not smell nice at first but it will help to pull all the crispy bacon bits that are stuck on the bottom of the skillet back into the sauce and adds more flavor later. Make sure when you pour the vinegar in you mix it around in the grease and scrape the bottom of the skillet to help loosen the bits of bacon stuck there.

At this point your water should be boiling so put the quinoa pasta in. You will need to stir the quinoa pasta often for the first three minutes so that it doesn't lump together. After the first three minutes you can let it cook for an additional 9-10 minutes stirring occasionally. After that it should be al-dente! 

After about two minutes of scrapping the skillet add the bacon back in and the maple syrup and mix together.

Next slowly start to introduce handfuls of spinach into the pan. Stirring the whole time until all the spinach has been introduced.

Strain the quinoa pasta and add it into the skillet when ready. If the pasta is not ready just put the skillet to the side until it is. When pasta is ready add it in stir it up in the skilled so it is covered in bacon grease, bacon and spinach (no heat required anymore) Next add 9-10 dollops of goat cheese on top and stir in (the heat from the pasta will melt it into the pasta).

Twirl and place on a plate with a dollop of goat cheese on top as garnish and it is ready to be served.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Id love to hear your thoughts below. Please leave me a comment and I will try and answer all your questions. Did you make it your own? Tell me about it!

** some goat cheese has gluten in it. If there is no gluten in your goat cheese this recipe will be gluten free - obviously hehe