If you love Italian food as much as I do, you will certainly enjoy this recipe for gluten free pasta al pomodoro. I cook pasta quite often and fettuccine are probably my favourite type of pasta. Even though I love pasta, I’m aware that the traditional way of preparing it might not be always very healthy. Most pasta contains a lot of refined carbs, and therefore lacks nutrients and fiber. This is why I have used a gluten free pasta made from brown rice for this recipe.
Gluten free pasta from brown rice
I found these gluten free fettuccine a while ago and I must say they absolutely exceeded my expectations. Some pasta without gluten is slightly tasteless and doesn’t have any bite, but these fettuccine are just full of flavour and stay remarkably al dente. Made from brown rice, they are naturally full of nutrients and fiber, which makes them healthier than traditional pasta.
Brown rice pasta is a healthy gluten free alternative for normal whole wheat pasta. Even if you are not on a sugar free diet, this gluten free pasta is also considerably lighter to digest than traditional pasta.
How to make a good pasta al pomodoro
When you prepare a pasta with tomato sauce, it is important to have a good base. This means to start your tomato sauce by sautéing garlic or onion in some olive oil for a while. For some recipes, like in the case of these gluten free fettuccine al pomodoro, it can be a good idea to sauté some fresh rosemary as well.
As for your tomatoes, you have the choice between fresh tomatoes, diced tomatoes in a can or passata di pomodoro, basically uncooked tomato puree in a glass jar. If you make use of fresh tomatoes, make sure you choose tomatoes with a good, sweet taste which are not hard and full of water. If you cannot find good fresh tomatoes, diced tomatoes or passata di pomodoro will do just as well. Most Italians in fact use canned tomatoes to prepare their pasta.
Cut your tomatoes in little pieces and slowly cook a smooth sauce out of them. Some people prefer to remove the skins and seeds from the tomatoes before putting them in the sauce, but I personally I don’t care. Also, skins are generally quite nutritious.
If you are in a hurry, you can serve your gluten free pasta al pomodoro sooner, but generally cooking the tomatoes for 45 minutes or more will really improve their taste. If you feel your sauce is a little thick and lacks water, add some water to prevent the sauce from burning. Finish your sauce off by adding some salt and pepper to it.
You can add some extra ingredients to make your pasta sauce even tastier. Some examples include sun-dried tomatoes, green or black olives and capers.
Always add your pasta to the sauce
Make sure you boil your fettuccine so that they are ready when your sauce is also ready. Leaving your pasta in the pot while waiting for your sauce to finish cooking will make your pasta dry or even hard. Strain your pasta and immediately add it to your sauce, stirring to mix both. Leave to simmer for a minute or so.
To know the boiling time of your pasta, you can use the time indicated on the package as a reference but it’s good to set a timer and taste every now and then. Leave your pasta a little bit al dente to get the best flavor out of it. Also, remember that your pasta will continue to cook after you add it to your sauce.
Gluten free pasta al pomodoro
Ingredients
Pasta
- 250 grams pasta
Tomato sauce
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 onion
- 3 branches rosemary
- 20 cherry tomatoes or one can of diced tomatoes
- 10 sun-dried tomatoes
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Preparing by finely chopping your garlic, onion, sun-dried tomatoes and cherry tomatoes and removing the rosemary from the branch.
- Put a frying pan on a medium fire, add the olive oil and wait until it's hot. Add onion, garlic and rosemary and sauté for about 30 seconds to a minute, making sure the garlic doesn't get too brown.
- Add your cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Bring your sauce to a boil and let it cook for at least 20 minutes. If your sauce gets too thick and there is no water left, add some water. It's best to cook your sauce for about 45 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Time when you should start boiling your pasta so that it is ready when your tomato sauce is ready.
- Add some salt and pepper to your sauce. Strain your pasta when it's ready and add to the tomato sauce. Stir to mix sauce and pasta.
- Serve immediately. You can add some oil, pepper and fresh basil on top.
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