Tag Archives: zucchini

Chicken Sausage And Roasted Vegetable Pasta

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“Pasta?” you say? “I thought you were gluten-free?” you say?

Well yes, I’m still gluten-free! Thankfully, several companies make gluten-free pasta so I don’t have to give up that which I so adore!

Since I now have to read ingredient labels to make sure I’m not unintentionally “glutened”, I’ve noticed more and more all of the un-natural additives that goes into food to preserve it. Italian sausage is no different! So I went from the pork variety to the all-natural chicken and its just as yummy if not more so!

I have to apologize for the photo! I seemed to have misplaced the battery for my good camera and have been using the good old iPhone to take pictures for the blog. Though I really don’t think this dish would photograph well either way!

Just trust me, it’s delicious!

Oh, and I should mention that I used a quality jarred sauce for this, but if you have the time and energy, using homemade would not be frowned upon!

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  • 1  lb bulk Italian chicken sausage
  • 12 oz gluten-free tri-colored vegetable pasta
  • 24 oz tomato basil sauce
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 large or two small zucchini, chopped
  • 8 oz mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • 3 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 beef steak tomatoes, sliced
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • dash crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On a baking sheet lined with foil, add onions, peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms with a few drizzles of olive oil and salt & pepper. Toss to coat. Roast veggies  for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.

Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a spatula. While sausage browns, cook pasta to package directions. When sausage is cooked through, stir in tomato sauce. Let heat through, for about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, spinach, and red pepper flakes. Cook until spinach is slightly wilted, then stir in roasted vegetables, and parmesan cheese. Allow to cook 5 more minutes. Add pasta and stir until well incorporated.

Pour pasta mixture into a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Top with sliced beef steak tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350, for 25 to 30 minutes. Would be great served with a Caesar salad!

**This holds up well in the fridge. For the three of us, I was able to get two dinners out of one pan.

Thai Spiced Tofu Lettuce Cups

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While wandering in Whole Foods one day, I came across this marinated, ready-to-cook tofu that looked delicious and I really wanted to try it in pad thai, but when I got home, I put it in the fridge, and it became lost in the cheese drawer and almost forgotten until just before it expired!

Wanting to make a quick, light meal, I decided to chop it up, cook it with some mushrooms and put it in some leftover lettuce I needed to use up. I also had some carrots and zucchini floating around in the fridge, as well as a half bottle peanut sauce, and a handful of dry roasted peanuts, and it turned out to be an instant dinner hit!

I would really try to seek out the marinated tofu for this, but if it isn’t available, drain a package of firm tofu, and marinade it for a few hours in peanut sauce.

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  • 1  8oz. package Thai-spiced tofu, chopped
  • 3.5 oz. oyster mushrooms, sliced
  • 3.5 oz. shitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 medium carrot, finely diced
  • 1 medium zucchini, finely diced
  • 3 green onions, 1/4 inch sliced
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 3 tbsp sesame oil
  • 3 tbsp peanut sauce, plus extra for serving ( I use San-J Gluten Free)
  • 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped
  • 1 head Bibb or butter lettuce

In a large skillet or wok, heat 2 tbsp sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook and stir until slightly browned on all sides. Remove tofu from skillet and set aside.

Add 1 tbsp sesame oil to skillet and stir in zucchini and carrots. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms. Continue to cook and stir for 5 minutes more.

Return tofu back to skillet and stir in green onions. Add peanut sauce and stir to coat. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

To serve, place a few heaping tablespoons into a leaf of lettuce and drizzle with extra peanut sauce, if desired.