Lemony Gluten-Free Pasta with Grilled Asparagus
Light + Lemony Gluten-Free Pasta for Spring with Grilled Asparagus
To speak about something as prosaic as pasta salad seems downright ho-hum. I mean. It's just a pasta salad. It's something I tossed together with stuff I had on hand. I hadn't planned on it. I didn't spend days contemplating the ins and outs and quirks of gluten-free penne. In fact, if I'm being unabashedly honest here I rarely think about food at all.
Until I'm hungry.
Until those familiar, nagging pangs begin gnawing their pesky little way into my consciousness, distracting me from my preferred, visual nomenclature- which rarely includes anything edible.
I daydream about painting in the Rockies, the plight of bees, and walking low tide on Brewster Flats. I notice the temperature of light and the curve of negative space against a jar of old spoons. I think about expectations and illusions and perceptions. I ponder where my soul is taking me, tugging at me to pay attention to my life, inviting me through dreams and the random snippets of music or ideas or theories that skitter and skate and ripple the mental stream I wade in day after day, to consider time itself- if I believe in it- sliding by in a cool constant flow of now.
I rarely eat breakfast. I often forget lunch. And dinner time always surprises me. As if each day takes figuring out all over again how to (****ing) live (to paraphrase the Deadwood Zen master David Milch).
This doesn't mean I don't appreciate good food.
Or that I hate to cook (well, some days I am less than enthusiastic).
I loathe junk food and processed food. I can't take credit for this- it's simply the way I'm built, the way my body so pointedly rejects any easy, packaged fix.
Even before I discovered gluten intolerance and FODMAPs I knew on some instinctual level that in order to keep this body of mine healthy and strong for the here and now I have to pay it some attention.
I know I have to eat.
And eat consciously.
And so I find myself rummaging in the little white painted cupboard that is my pantry.
And I find a box of gluten-free penne.
In the fridge I locate a fistful of spring asparagus.
One lemon.
A few sprigs of dill, marjoram, parsley and mint.
The rest is history.
Now in my belly.
Fuel for instigating thoughts of rebirth, fragility, and the particular pink that is ranunculus.
xox
Karina
Karina's Lemon Infused Pasta Salad Recipe with Fresh Herbs and Grilled Asparagus
This light and lemony gluten-free vegan pasta salad recipe is easy to toss together- yet elegant enough to serve at your next party or picnic with family and friends.
Ingredients:
1 12-oz. box gluten-free penne (We like Barilla- and I was not paid to say this.)
1 1-lb. bunch thin asparagus
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
1 large juicy lemon
1/2 cup Vegenaise (or sour cream if you dig dairy)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram
Sea salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and stir in the brown rice penne. Cook until tender, but still al dente. Do not over-cook.
Wash the asparagus. Trim off tough ends. Grill in a grill pan (or on a hot grill) until the spears are tender-crisp- don't over-cook these babies. You want them smoky and slightly crisp. Remove them from the grill pan or grill and let them cool a bit. Slice them into bite-size lengths.
When the pasta is cooked to al dente, drain well and pour into a large bowl. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, toss lightly to coat. Squeeze lemon juice all over the pasta and toss gently. Add the Vegenaise, asparagus, and fresh chopped herbs. Season with sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Again, toss gently to combine.
Serve immediately at room temperature when the flavors are fresh and vibrant. This will insure the best texture.
If you must make it ahead of time- cover and chill. But before serving, allow the pasta salad to come up to room temperature for best flavor. Gluten-free pasta becomes stiff when chilled.
Serves six.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you.
ABOUT OATS...
Gluten-Free Goddess cautions readers to re-think the use of gluten-free oats in a gluten-free diet. The latest oats and oatmeal testing by Gluten-Free Watchdog reveals a higher amount of gluten than is acceptable for celiac patients. We no longer use "gluten-free oats" in our kitchen. Do your own research, please, to understand the risks, and make informed choices.
TRENDING
Irish Soda Bread Inspired Rolls- er Buns. Or whatever. Spring is poised to sprout. I just know it. Despite the frigid fingers of wind that unwrap your scarf and creep-sneak down your spine. Despite the tawny, snow nourished grass that twists between wind blown twigs and scattered crows pecking at patches of silvered oak leaves at the edge of the winter swept woods. Despite the wild and wooly roar of the coming March lion--- you can feel it. Right? Green is coming. Snow drops are sprouting! I spied some yesterday- swaying all jaunty and hopeful in the spring smelling air. So Happy (almost- it's coming- hold on) Spring! And to tempt you into celebrating this weekend, here is an Irish soda bread inspired bun-roll recipe to try. Bun, roll, mini-bread- whatever you call these tender tea worthy babies, one thing is for sure. They're delicious. Karina xox
The mother of invention? If I call this new gluten-free bread an Irish soda bread, traditionalists will snicker. Raisins are not traditional in a "true" Irish soda bread, you see (if a soda bread has raisins in it, it's called Spotted Dog in the Emerald Isle, or so I'm told). I never knew this, growing up on the salt-kissed clapboard villages of the Connecticut shore. I was blithely ignorant of this quaint canine moniker, despite a streak of Irish blood. We ate more pierogi and kielbasa in our culturally eclectic house than Irish soda bread and tea. So my own first home baked Irish soda bread had raisins in it. And, actually, come to think of it, why the heck not? When it comes to traditions, I wiggle and chafe beneath constraint and "should" like an itchy Catholic school girl with pinching new Easter shoes gazing out the window at the unsettled spring sky. I admire traditions. At least in theory. In an abstract way. Experimenting, though, is more int...
Beef Stew. Who knew? This recipe is a surprise- even to me. You wouldn't expect a life-long Vegetarian Goddess to create and fall in love with an Irish beef stew recipe, but that is precisely what happened this weekend. Shocking? Tell me about it. Just when you think you've got your life all figured out, and your tastes and preferences arranged in a tidy packet of self-identification and veggie piety- all Hades breaks loose. Celiac. Food allergies. Broken hip. Suddenly, your food-world view is quite literally flipped on its leafy little head. So, after my orthopedic surgeon's instructions to "eat lots of animal protein" to support the healing of my hip fracture, my husband and I decided to try our collective hands at making our very first Irish beef stew together. The first beef stew of our marriage. And what did I do as I spooned the first taste into my hesitant, quivering lips? Gentle Reader, I swooned like ...
Our go-to brownie recipe- for years- was this fabulous Dark Chocolate Brownie Recipe , created back in the early, innocent gluten-free days of 2006. And it has never failed us. We must have baked hundreds of these brownies. I'm so not kidding. So why mess around and experiment with success, you might, quite logically, ask? Well. I cannot come up with a definitive philosophy behind my impulse to try something new. All I can say is, It's my nature. And that's good news for brownie lovers everywhere. Because these fudgy-good gems are easy to make. No xanthan gum or weird ingredients. Just rich chocolate goodness. What better way to ring in the Season? Not to mention, a brand new year? So go. Get fudgy. Peace - Love - Chocolate, Karina xo
Go Raw for a Super Creamy Cashew Dip. In these last lingering days of warm sun and green leaves, I find myself craving something light and fresh, savory and creamy... Perhaps this tasty, velvety roasted red pepper hummus , perfect for 'Party On' mode. Hmmm. My mind is swirling with possibilities... spinning a tempting, hummus shuffle play. Today's winner? This raw cashew dip (inspired by my raw cashew cream recipe ). Your body- and taste buds- will thank you. Karina xo
