When I first started making changes to my diet I had recently gotten home from my honeymoon in Italy, where I had suffered after every glorious meal. My biggest dilemma was how I was going to find a way to continue to eat pasta. To say I love pasta is an understatment. I especially loved whole wheat pasta, it was so hearty and I loved the "bite" of its al dente delicious-ness. What on earth was a newly gluten-free girl to do?
I quickly learned to love brown rice pasta. It looked like whole wheat pasta, and much to my surprise tasted like it too! The best part? Brown rice pasta is made of ....well, brown rice and water. Have you taken a look at the ingredient list on the boxes of pasta in your pantry? You'd be surprised at some of the items on the list. Now, brown rice pasta isn't for everyone....especially if you don't have an issue with gluten, but it can be an alternative (as well as quinoa pasta, which is equally delicious) if you are experimenting with trying new things.
Tonight I decided to make one of my favorite pasta dishes: spinach lasagna. There are lots of ways to make something like lasagna healthier, and it's so versatile if you're vegetarian, gluten-free or grain-free. Did I also mention that from start to finish took about an hour? Not bad for lasagna. If you've got 20 min for prep, the oven does the rest.
I started by sauteing half of an onion with two cloves of garlic in some olive oil, and then added my spinach. I used frozen spinach, (make sure to thaw and squeeze all of the water out) but you could easily use fresh spinach as well. While my spinach mix was sauteing I mixed whole milk ricotta with one egg, and a little salt & pepper (for those of you that like to experiment you could try this homemade goat's milk ricotta - DELISH!)
I quickly learned to love brown rice pasta. It looked like whole wheat pasta, and much to my surprise tasted like it too! The best part? Brown rice pasta is made of ....well, brown rice and water. Have you taken a look at the ingredient list on the boxes of pasta in your pantry? You'd be surprised at some of the items on the list. Now, brown rice pasta isn't for everyone....especially if you don't have an issue with gluten, but it can be an alternative (as well as quinoa pasta, which is equally delicious) if you are experimenting with trying new things.
Tonight I decided to make one of my favorite pasta dishes: spinach lasagna. There are lots of ways to make something like lasagna healthier, and it's so versatile if you're vegetarian, gluten-free or grain-free. Did I also mention that from start to finish took about an hour? Not bad for lasagna. If you've got 20 min for prep, the oven does the rest.
I started by sauteing half of an onion with two cloves of garlic in some olive oil, and then added my spinach. I used frozen spinach, (make sure to thaw and squeeze all of the water out) but you could easily use fresh spinach as well. While my spinach mix was sauteing I mixed whole milk ricotta with one egg, and a little salt & pepper (for those of you that like to experiment you could try this homemade goat's milk ricotta - DELISH!)
I boiled my pasta, but there are a number of pastas out there that are "no boil" - gluten- free included! Once my pasta was almost done, I began to layer it in my baking dish. Keep in mind that gluten-free pasta tends to be more starchy, so you definitely don't want to overcook it. If you are grain-free, you could substitute slices of grilled eggplant for the noodles.
I began by layering tomato sauce, then noodles, ricotta, spinach mixture, and shredded cheese in my pan. Repeat until you have your last layer of noodles, then just top with sauce and shredded cheese. If you are using jar sauce, do me a favor....read those ingredients too. I don't know that you'll find a jar of sauce that doesn't contain sugar, so just make sure that sugar is one of the last ingredients on the list (if you find sugar free, that would be ideal). If your goal is gluten-free, make sure your sauce is GF (it will say it somewhere under the ingredient list).
In the summer, when I've got tomatoes coming out of my ears, it's easier to make homemade sauce. You could use canned tomatoes if you wanted, and just add your own spices. Or roast some whole tomatoes with olive oil and spices in your oven for about 30 min, and then crush them up to use as a chunky sauce. The possibilities are endless.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 min.
The best part is you can freeze whatever you don't eat. So, if you're cooking for one or two, there is no reason you can't enjoy a delicious lasagna. I like to portion off my leftovers and freeze them in separate containers. One pan of lasagna will easily feed my husband and I two or three more meals!
In the summer, when I've got tomatoes coming out of my ears, it's easier to make homemade sauce. You could use canned tomatoes if you wanted, and just add your own spices. Or roast some whole tomatoes with olive oil and spices in your oven for about 30 min, and then crush them up to use as a chunky sauce. The possibilities are endless.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 40 min.
The best part is you can freeze whatever you don't eat. So, if you're cooking for one or two, there is no reason you can't enjoy a delicious lasagna. I like to portion off my leftovers and freeze them in separate containers. One pan of lasagna will easily feed my husband and I two or three more meals!
Gluten-free never tasted so good.....
XO,
Nicole
XO,
Nicole
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