Gluten Free Stuffed Pasta

I am developing a sense of peace and determination when it comes to adapting recipes to fit my gluten free lifestyle.  Normally, my diet is very basic.  I tend to love certain foods, so I eat them over and over.  Occasionally, I like to spice it up and consider a food that we gluten-free-foodies don't have an opportunity to enjoy that gluten-eaters have at their fingertips.

I am currently obsessed with reading cookbooks, magazines and websites in an effort to learn the tricks to be a better GF cook.  So, I was thrilled when I found a recipe for stuffed pasta at http://allrecipes.com/recipe/stuffed-pasta-shells/detail.aspx.  Yay!  It wasn't difficult to find these babies online:

 

The original recipe called for 12 oz. of cooked pasta.  That was too much. 8 oz. of pasta would have been plenty is you're using this brand.  The recipe online also called for a jar of spaghetti sauce.  We love my homemade sauce, so I made that change, too.  Finally, my daughter is not a fan of spinach, so I did use some, but probably only about 1/2 cup instead of the whole box.  Following is my gluten-free version of the recipe:

Pasta Shell Ingredients:

One 8-oz. box of Tinkiyada brown rice pasta Grand Shells

One 15-oz. container of ricotta cheese

Four cups of Mozzarella cheese

Frozen spinach to taste, thawed

Sauce Ingredients:

One pound of ground beef, chicken, turkey or pork

Three cloves of garlic

1/2 cup of chopped onion

Ground pepper

One large can of GF tomatoes with basil and garlic - Use the liquid, too.

One small can of GF tomato paste

One small can of GF tomato sauce

Three tablespoons of Italian seasoning

Three tablespoons of chopped fresh basil

Cooking Instructions:

1. Brown ground meat with onions, garlic and pepper.  Drain.
2. In a crockpot, add meat, all three kinds of tomatoes, seasoning and basil.  Sometimes I add about two good tablespoons of prepared basil pesto to the mixture.  Cook the sauce on low temperature for two-three hours.
3. Combine the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses with the thawed spinach.  Set aside.
4. Cook the pasta according to instructions.  Tinkyada recommends boiling pasta that is going into a casserole for two minutes less that you would for regular use, so I cook the large shell pasta for 17-18 minutes.  Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water.
5. Stuff the pasta shells with the cheese mixture.  Place them into a greased casserole dish.
6. Use a ladle to spoon sauce over the shells. 
7.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is soft and melted.

   

Penne with Arugula-Walnut Pesto

We had a delicious meal last night for dinner!  First, I made the pesto and let it rest in the refrigerator while I made biscuits and then boiled the pasta while those were baking.  I've tried "homemade" biscuits, but we LOVE the Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Bisquick recipe!!  It is super simple, and the results are amazing.  I got two thumbs up from my adorable husband. That is always a good thing!

12 oz. arugula with stems removed
2 garlic cloves, cracked and peeled
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 lb. gluten-free Penne pasta

1. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, cook garlic cloves in olive oil for five minutes.  Remove from stove and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Fill food processor with arugula (loosely packed).  Add walnuts, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and one-half of the warm oil.  Once lid is in place, pulse until you grind enough to get a smooth paste.  Stir in the remaining oil and Parmesan cheese.  Spoon the pesto into the bottom of a pasta serving bowl.
3. Cook pasta according to product instructions.  Drain.  Pour cooked pasta over the pesto.  Add 1/2 ladle of pasta water, and stir pasta together with pesto.  Serve warm.

Note:  Sometimes I add 1/2 cup of sauteed mushrooms to the pasta before tossing with pesto.

Betty Crocker GF Bisquick Garlic Biscuits 
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/cheese-garlic-biscuits-gluten-free/781e1a42-c051-4ab9-bd5e-ac38c7588bc0?sr=2&st=7#/?term=gluten+free+biscuits&pi=1&mr=20

2 cups gluten-free Bisquick
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2/3 cup cold milk
1/4 cup cold butter
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 eggs

Garlic Butter Topping
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix Bisquik and 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, whisking together to blend.  Add  butter; use a pastry blender or strong fork to blend until mixed to crumb-stage.  Add milk and eggs; mix.  Add cheese; mix.  
2. Drop by large spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.  (The original BC recipe says you'll get 10 biscuits, but I can easily get 12 biscuits from this recipe.)
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.  While the biscuits are baking, melt the topping butter and mix with 1/4 tsp. garlic powder.  Brush the topping over the biscuits as soon as you take them from the oven.  Serve warm. 

Pasta with Lemony Herb Sauce

I love to fix this quick and easy pasta dish for my family.  You can add shrimp or chicken if you want, but it's delicious on its own without meat.  I adapted the recipe from Food Network to meet our gluten-free needs.

6 T. olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh green onions

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon

2 (8-oz.) boxes of gluten-free pasta (spaghetti or fettuccine)

2 t. lemon zest 

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions and drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups of pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 T. of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Once simmering, add the onion and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring continuously.  It will take about 5 minutes for the mixture to get soft and translucent.  Remove from heat and stir in half of the fresh herbs. 
3. Return the (empty) pasta pot to the stove.  Add the onion mixture, the rest of the olive oil, the rest of the herbs, the reserved pasta water and lemon zest.  Season with salt and pepper, stir, add the pasta and toss to coat.  
4. Top with Parmesan cheese and parsley sprigs before serving.

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

I adapted this recipe after finding it in a Taste of Home Dinner on a Dime magazine as I was waiting to check out at WalMart.  The recipe is found on page 37 of the Feb/March 2009 issue.  It is one of my favorites!

1 package of baby shrimp, frozen and pre-cooked

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/3 cup of olive oil

1 package of gluten-free spaghetti pasta or fettucini pasta

3/4 cup of gluten-free low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or wok, saute the garlic in oil until it is crisp.  Stir in the shrimp, broth, parsley, salt and cayenne pepper.  Cook until heated through.
3. Drain the pasta; add it to the shrimp mixture and toss to thoroughly coat.

Creole Pasta with Smoked Sausage

2 (6-oz.) boxes of gluten-free pasta and cheese

1 lb. gluten-free smoked sausage (I use Hillshire), sliced

1 cup frozen onion, bell pepper, and red bell pepper seasoning blend

1 can gluten-free tomatoes with green chilies

1 tsp. gluten-free Creole seasoning

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.  Drain pasta; add cheese sauce from package.
2. Cook sausage and seasoning blend over medium-high heat for five to seven minutes, or until the sausage is browned.  Then, add the tomatoes with their juices to the skillet, stirring to combine.  Remove from heat.
3. In a serving bowl or dish, combine the pasta, sausage mix, and Creole seasoning.  Serve immediately after stirring.

Gluten Free Lasagna

1 ½ packages of gluten free lasagna pasta, uncooked (about 1 lb.)

1 lb. ground beef

32 oz. can GF tomato chunks

12 oz. can GF tomato paste

1 T. Italian herb seasoning

1 lb. Mozzarella cheese, grated

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

24 oz. low-fat cottage cheese

4 T. parsley flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook ground beef; drain fat.  Add tomatoes with juice, tomato paste and Italian seasoning.  Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, Parmesan cheese, and parsley; set aside.
4. Spoon and spread 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 15x9x2 pan.  Place a layer of lasagna pasta sauce in the dish, covering the entire surface.  Cover the pasta with 1/2 of cheese filling mixture, spread across; add 6 oz. Mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of uncooked noodles and 1/2 of meat mixture.  Repeat.  Save 4 oz. Mozzarella cheese to top.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  Let cook for 10 minutes before cutting and then serving.

*    The first time I made this, I was confused about making lasagna and not boiling the noodles first, but it works with the GF lasagna noodles.