A deliciously yummy gluten-free pasta dish that is easy to make, and uses only a handful of ingredients, and comes together in under 40 minutes.
It’s loaded with Mediterranean flavor and is the perfect pasta comfort meal that includes delicious Greek feta cheese, garlic infused olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes and colorful cherry tomatoes.
Instant Pot Gluten-free Feta Pasta
1 pound box red lentil penne pasta
2 pints colorful cherry tomatoes
1 block Greek Feta (8oz)
1/2 cup garlic infused olive oil + 2 tablespoons to finish
1 cup fresh basil (not packed, loose)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 cup water
Place insert into Instant Pot. Add cherry tomatoes and place feta cheese on top.
Sprinkle into Instant Pot salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and finish with oil.
Place lid over pot and lock. Use pressure cook custom. Set to cook low for 20 minutes. Once done, release pressure valve. When all pressure is released unlock and remove lid. Remove tomatoes & feta cheese. Set aside.
Place pasta and water into Instant pot. Pour tomatoes and feta on top of pasta. Lock lid and close pressure vent.
Pressure cooker custom high for 4 minutes. When done, quick release pressure. Remove lid and stir well. Add basil leaves, and gently stir.
Plate as a side dish or add cooked ground beef or chicken to make as a main meal.
Get more Instant Pot recipes by typing “Instant Pot” into the search box and click Search.
Orecchiette is a pasta typical of the Apulia region of Southern Italy. The pronunciation of Orecchiette is : ohr-ay-KYEHT-ee.
The shape of the pasta is what gives it, its name, as it resembles a small ear.
In Italian, the word “orecchio” means “ear”, and the suffix ‘etto’ means ‘small’.
Orecchiette Pasta – Left has Ridges and Right has aSmooth Surface
What’sAndouilleSausage
As for the andouille sausage, it is the star ingredient of Cajun-style dishes, including jambalaya and gumbo.
But despite it’s Cajun reputation, Andouille actually originated in French cuisine.
The large sausage is made from the digestive tract of a single pig. The sausage is mixed with onions and seasonings.
The prepared mixture is put into a casing made from the pig’s large intestine, poached, and allowed to cool.
But andouille sausage found in U.S. stores is prepared Cajun-style from the upper shoulder of a pig and mixed with spicy seasonings. Instead of being poached, it is twice smoked.
Andouille is sold pre-cooked. It’s really easy to work with. You simply take it out of the fridge, slice it and serve it cold on a cheese and meat platter, on its own or in a pasta recipe.
Is Chipotle A Chili Variety
Chipotle is not a particular chili, but rather is a smoke-dried ripe jalapeño chili pepper.
It is used for seasoning primarily Mexican and Mexican-inspired cuisines, such as Tex-Mex and Southwestern United States dishes.
More commonly made from red jalapeños, chipotles date as far back as the Aztecs, who smoked peppers as a preservative measure because the jalapeño’s thick flesh would rot before completely air drying.
Orecchiette with Andouille Sausage and Pesto Chipotle Sauce
3/4 cup basil pesto, jarred or fresh made (link here for recipe – History of Pesto Sauce)
2 teaspoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 cup colored cherry tomatoes (about 15 whole cherry tomatoes), sliced in half
1 pound green beans, trimmed, cut in half
Add adobe sauce to the pesto sauce. Mix together well, set aside.
Prepare green beans and cherry tomatoes and set aside.
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Last three minutes of cooking time, add prepared green beans.
Drain, but do not rinse. Set aside.
Slice sausage into 1/2 inch slices. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil, add meat and move about until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan.
In the same large skillet, add the pasta, green bean mix, the cup of basil pesto mix, sausage; mix well until coated with sauce.
This pasta recipe features an Alfred Sauce prepared with butter, heavy cream, rosemary, parmesan and Asiago cheeses.
After the sauce is made, it is added to a Cheese Tortellini pasta, bacon, peas and carrots. Then baked under the broiler for 3-5 minutes.
Baked Cheese Tortellini with Bacon Vegetables & A Rosemary Alfredo Sauce
12-16 ounce package of Tortellini – your choice
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
½ cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup Asiago cheese, grated
1 cup heavy cream
6-8 slices of smoked bacon, cut into 1- inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
AlfredoSauce
Place a small pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt. Next add rosemary and mix with butter.
Next add cheeses and mix with butter until cheeses have melted.
Next add cream a little at a time while stirring until sauce thickens. Set aside.
Cooking Smoked Bacon
Place a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add prepared bacon and cook just before becoming crisp. Remove cooked bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb fat. Set aside.
PreparingTortellini and Vegetables
While cooking bacon, prepare Tortellini according to package instructions. Once cooked (usually about 4 minutes) remove Tortellini from water (do not discard water) with a spider spoon and place into a large bowl and set aside.
Place frozen peas and carrots into hot pasta water, 3-4 minutes, just to thaw and warm up. Remove vegetables from water with a spider spoon and add to pasta.
Bringing It All Together
Add cooked bacon to pasta and vegetables. Pour Alfredo sauce over pasta, bacon and vegetables. Mix until everything is coated well with sauce.
Turn oven broiler on. Add pasta mixture to a large oven proof skillet. Set aside while broil heats up.
When broiler is hot enough, place skillet with pasta mixture under broiler for 3-4 minutes.
Be carful not to burn pasta. Leave under broiler just until you notice that sauce starts to quiver a little.
Remove from under broiler. Plate and serve.
Here are some more pasta recipes that You are sure to enjoy. And they’re gluten-free.
This amazing deliciously yummy gluten-free creamy cheesy pasta dish comes together in less than 30 minutes in just one skillet. And even the pasta gets cooked right in the pan.
Other than a cutting board for some prep work, only a single skillet ends up in the kitchen sink.
Oh, did we say this is a comforting pasta dish on your dinner table in less than 30 minutes!
For this one skillet chicken sausage dish we use the Chef Bruce aidells brand. You can also use all natural al fresco chicken sausage.
2 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup milk
8 ounces penne pasta, gluten-free
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded white Sharp Cheddar cheese
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion and sausage, and cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes.
Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, milk and pasta; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 7-10 minutes. *See Note Below
Remove from heat and top with cheese. Cover until cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Remove lid and mix melted cheese with pasta.
Plate and serve.
* When using a gluten-free pasta and especially a plant based pasta (made from beans, lentils or legumes) the required time to boil in water is less time (7-10 minutes) than a wheat based pasta with gluten (12-14 or more minutes). Boiling a plant based pastabeyond 10 minutes will only make for a mushy pasta.
If this Chicken Sausage meal sounds delicious, then you’ll love making….
Orzo, also known as risoni, is a short-cut pasta, shaped like a large grain of rice. It is traditionally made from white flour, but it can also be made of whole grain.
Whole Grain Orzo Pasta
In Italy, where orzo originates, is classified as pastina or “little pasta,” which is a category of small, shaped pastas.
Orzo is typically used in many Italian dishes, including soups, pasta salads, grain bowls, and other dishes where a petite pasta is needed.
Orzo can be made like rice with a two-to-one ratio of water to dried pasta and will offer a creamier texture. The best part? Your cooking time will be about half of what it takes to make a pot of white rice.
Chicken and Pumpkin Orzotto
Orzo is a fun, versatile pasta that can not only be served as a side dish in place of rice, but can also be prepared as a risotto dish.
Risotto is a dish that requires a specific type of rice — arborio — as well as plenty of patience and continual stirring to get the texture just right.
However, using orzo can be more forgiving and takes less time. Plus, the starch from the pasta will give a nice creamy texture to your meal.
1 pound chicken thighs, skinless, boneless, diced, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp butter unsalted, divided
1 small onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
2 cups orzo dry
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups cream
1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Stir 4 cups of the chicken broth with pumpkin puree in large sauce pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a bowl. Turn heat to low.
In a large skillet over medium heat add 2 tablespoons of butter and melt. Next add diced chicken and cook until chicken is oblique. Remove chicken from pan and set aside in a small bowl.
In the same large skillet, add the olive oil, 4 tablespoons of butter and allow butter to melt, about 30 seconds.
Next, stir in the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion softens and the garlic becomes aromatic, about 2 minutes.
Add the orzo to the skillet and stir until orzo starts to toast lightly, about 2 minutes. This will give it a nutty flavor.
Add one cup of the broth mixture to orzo and stir until liquid is absorbed. Continue adding a half cup of the mixture at a time, stirring often between additions, until liquid is absorbed.
Cook until orzo is tender and mixture is creamy.
If orzotto is too thick, stir in an additional ½ cup broth until loosened but not soupy.
Next stir in the Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Add the chicken and vegetables and mix until combined.
Tortellini are ring-shaped pasta, sometimes also described as “navel shaped”, hence their alternative name – “belly button” (ombelico).
Originally from the Italian region of Emilia (in particular Bologna and Modena), they are usually stuffed with a mix of meat, which is pork loin, raw prosciutto, and Mortadella.
It also contains Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, egg and nutmeg.
The Origins of Tortellini
Legend claims that Venus and Zeus were weary after a day of worrying that they stared at a near by inn.
It is said that night the innkeeper went up to their room and peeked through the key hole to see the navel of Venus.
The site of seeing this leaves him spellbound – so much so that he immediately rushes to the kitchen and creates a pasta inspired by Venus’ navel…and so was born the Tortellini.
IS ALL OF THAT TRUE – you ask?
I don’t really know – But that’s what Barrilla (the pasta makers) write on their website – titled What Is The Origin Of Tortellini.
The Italian Tradition of Tortellini
In the land of pasta tortellini’s birth, the region near the Italian city of Bologna, they’re strictly served as broth-like dumplings.
There in Bologna a tortellini has never been served as a Pasta Primavera and no less served with Cajun shrimp.
Gianni degli Angeli is the president of the San Nicola Association, which has taken on the task of safeguarding the local region’s renowned culinary traditions.
He says the No. 1 symbol of the local gastronomic culture is the tortellino.
“In times of poverty and hardship, we ate tortellini only at Christmas, Easter and at weddings, because the filling is made of costly ingredients like prosciutto and parmesan cheese,” he says.
Tortellini are an integral part of family life in the Emilia region, says Massimo Bottura, chef and owner of a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Modena.
He says, “I grew up under the kitchen table escaping my older brothers at my grandmother’s, where flour fell on my feet”(source: NPR).
Cajun Shrimp
These spicy smoked cajun shrimp bring a lot of pizazz to the pasta dish.
Use as much or as little smoked Cajun pepper as you’d like, depending on your taste and those you cook for.
Smoked Cajun Pepper Spice
The smoked Cajun pepper spice is a mix of:
• Smoked Paprika
• Black Pepper
• Chilli Flakes
• Dried Thyme
• Dried Oregano
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
If the spice you are using for the shrimp is a Creole Cajun Seasoning, it would have all of the seasonings noted above, with the addition of dried parsley and basil.
Orechiette is a distinctive Puglian type of pasta shaped roughly like small ears, as orecchio in Italian means eat, and Orecchiette means little ears.
The pasta is roughly 3/4 of an inch across, slightly domed, and the centers are thinner than the rim of the pasta. The pastas texture is soft in the middle and more chewy along the rim or outside of the pasta.
The pasta makers “Barilla” says that Orecchiette is the signature pasta of Puglia, describing Puglia as a humble farming land situated along the southeastern coast of Italy.
Here is a video posted to You-Tube of Italian women in Italy making fresh Orechiette pasta.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and saute, stirring often, until beginning to brown and smell fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add chorizo to pan and break up with a spoon, and cook meat until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
Next add tomato paste and red pepper flakes to meat mixture and mix in. Next add the broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened a bit, about 15-20 minutes. Next add the can of chickpeas, and mix in, cooking 2 minutes more to heat the chickpeas through.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to packaged instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
Next add the pasta and 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid to meat sauce. Continue to cook until sauce thickens and coats pasta, about 3 minutes. Add the pasta liquid as needed. You might use the whole cup, and possibly less.
Serve pasta topped with cilantro or parsley (your choice), Parmesan, and lemon zest.
We have had this for left overs a few times, and each time we add cilantro, cheese, and lemon zest. The zest adds great flavor to this dish. Be sure to use it.
The squash is a member of the gourd family and is the most widely grown winter squash. In the United States, Florida is the largest squash-producer with California ranking second.
Butternut is rich in fiber, and low in calories. It also is a good source of minerals, including magnesium and potassium. Those who have asthma or breathing problems, this squash can help, because of its magnesium, and vitamins A and C content.
Medical studies since 1994 have reported that low magnesium intake is linked to asthma and chronic obstructive airways. Many studies also have noted that drugs used in the treatment of asthma causes loss of magnesium in the body (The Link Between An Asthma Attack and Magnesium).
Dr. Carolyn Dean, MD, who authored the book, “The Magnesium Miracle,” states that magnesium has a calming effect on the muscles of the bronchial airways, as well as the whole body (Treating Asthma With Nutrition).
Let’s breath easier, and get that all over calming effect as we present our featured recipe: Gluten Free Penne with Smoked Bacon and Butternut Squash, and here is what you will need.
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces, cooked in a steamer (optional to roast)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound gluten-free penne pasta
1 large yellow onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper corns
1/2 pound smoked bacon, cooked, but not crispy, your preference in flavor, we used a apple-bourbon smoked bacon
Cook pasta according to package instruction. Save one cup of the pasta water before draining pasta. Set aside.
Over medium heat in a large ceramic coated frying pain, add oil and diced onion, red pepper flakes and crushed pepper corns, and saute until onion are slightly browned, about 6 to 7 minutes.
Next add past, squash, and bacon. Mix until well incorporated. Next add cheese, and slowly add the reserved pasta water. The amount you add determines if you want the dish creamy or not.
According to Food History asparagus has a long history as far back as the first century. There are records of it growing in ancient Greece and Rome. History even records Egyptians over 2,000 years ago cultivated asparagus for medicinal reasons (Kitchen Project)
Of course most eatable plants were first discovered growing wild, and asparagus is no exception. A wild asparagus has thin shoots thinner than a pencil and is much different than the asparagus that we find in the market.
Through selective breeding and growing techniques, a modern non wild asparagus has a thicker stem with more edible flesh.
Asparagus is even a low carbohydrate food, and a 15 on the glycemic index, which is the rating of plant food and how it effects your blood glucose or insulin in the body (0-35 is low).
Now for our featured recipe, and here is what you will need.
8 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces
Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining. Return the pasta to the pan that you cooked it in, and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until browned, but not crispy. Remove and place on paper towel lined plate to drain.
Remove all but 2 tablespoons of grease from the skillet, and return to the stove. Add the chopped asparagus to the pan, stirring occasionally. Cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic to the skillet, and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the cooked asparagus, garlic, bacon, and Alfredo sauce to the pot of cooked pasta. Toss to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit of the saved pasta water to thin it out. Season to taste with Himalayan salt and pepper before serving (optional).