Most people are under the impression that pasta originated in Italy. Actually this isn’t strictly true. It was brought across from China during the 13th century. China brought to Italy noodles which they turned into pasta. In recent years I’m pleased to say I’ve also found gluten free noodles too.
Pasta is quick, fairly cheap and very easy to cook. Plus it can be made into a very tasty meal that can feed a whole family. Sadly, I can’t eat ‘normal’ pasta. In recent years I have discovered a gluten intolerance. I’ve had to cut all gluten products from my diet. Although, I have found a lot of really tasty alternatives to what is easily one of my favourite carbohydrates.
My son Ted who is 7 loves both pasta and noodles. Therefore he was pleased to know that pasta originated from noodles. Ted’s also really pleased that mummy (me) has found gluten free noodle and pasta products we can all eat.Ted enjoys both pasta and noodle dinners and here are a few of our favourite pasta dishes.
Roasted Med Veg Pesto and Pasta
The other day I was writing my weekly shopping list. I went to the fridge to see what I had left. Suddenly I noticed a few small tomatoes and an aubergine. I must have been meaning to use these in a recipe. As I’m not one for waste, I thought about how I could use these vegetables in my cooking. I decided to try these two with other similar Mediterranean vegetables in a pesto.
Aubergines are a great source of dietary fibre and they are high in vitamins B1 and B6. As well as this, aubergines are also high in minerals and antioxidants. Overall they are a very healthy vegetable. Aubergines also have a very meaty flavour which makes them a great alternative to meat in a meal. I think this is why I buy so many.
During the week we will often eat vegan or vegetarian meals. I quite often enjoy making meals with aubergine as this meat substitute. I threw it together with the tomatoes and a variety of other vegetables and the results were amazing. It was one meaty meal we will definitely eat again.
Pesto for a Vegan, Vegetarian and a Meat Easter
We love a pesto and gluten free pasta night in our house. This pesto recipe will take you as long as the pasta takes to cook. About 10 minutes, yes that’s right a 10 minute dinner and there is no pulling it out of a packet. It is also packed full of goodness that will help your body absorb the vital nutrients it needs to survive.
The recipe for pesto has more ingredients that will help you as part of a balanced diet. Eating well, I now believe, can save us from so many illnesses and diseases. If we eat well we will save ourselves from the potential of many health problems. Enjoying a great dinner is a good start to getting on the road to health and happiness.
During Lockdown my husband found the recipe for a certain furniture stores Swedish meatballs online. He then asked me if I could adapt this recipe to make them ‘mummy friendly’ as he likes to call it. Basically for me the meatballs have to be gluten and dairy free.
For this recipe we both put our thinking caps on and we created this delicious dish. It’s definitely one we will be eating again. They were so yummy baked in the oven. In the furniture shop you can buy these from, it is customary to eat these with chips and Lingonberry sauce. We opted for pasta and a tomato sauce. It was scrumptious and we thought you might like the recipe too.
Vegan Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Mac and Cheese
Now Summer is finally on the way, I feel it’s time to make a Mediterranean dish. I have only ever been to Italy once. My husband Howard and I once visited Milan. We drove across from Switzerland. I have vivid memories of driving across mountains with sheer drops beside me in the passenger seat. It’s not something I would want to do every day.
When we finally arrived in Italy we found ourselves eating pizza and enjoying the hot sunshine. The only trouble was we had to drive home again. When I cooked this Mediterranean meal I remembered that holiday and I thanked the lord I live in a country without too many mountains.
Baked Beef and Parma Ham Spaghetti Bolognaise
Now when the weather is warm and sunny outside, the last place you want to be is in front of the hob. However, you may have a hungry stomach or a ravenous little family to feed. During the year my slow cooker is well used. I’m ready to pull the slow cooker from the cupboard for any meal.
On this occasion I had forgotten to take the mince beef from the freezer. So I removed it in the morning. But that meant I couldn’t cook this in the slow cooker. So I let it defrost and I decided to make a mini slow cooked meal in the oven. The results were amazing and I just had to share this with you.
The 5 pasta recipes are great family dinners that we all enjoy. They are so simple to cook but so tasty too. The meals are great in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. I would recommend that you don’t freeze the pasta but the sauces and meat dishes can be frozen for another occasion. These dishes could be made into batches, frozen and eaten for another meal. However you decide to eat these dinners, as always, please enjoy. Thank you xxx
Googies Kitchen Life 