Saturday, February 28, 2009

Tuscan Pasta dish learns to Salsa















I have and always will love my pasta and sauce...it has been my favorite since I guess I began to eat on my own...s'ghetti and balls, goulash with ground beef-mac noodles and sauce, mac n cheese please.. There is just something about it that fills you up; its hearty and can be eaten hot, lukewarm, or cold (I get sidetracked taking pictures lately, and forget to eat).

While I was picking up my 25 lbs of quinoa flour at the Whole Earth the other day I past the pasta isle and said, "what the heck, I am buying some of those gluten free penne and I am making pasta". I am not complaining, I am eating pretty darn good in spite of the gluten issues, and if you notice there are no potatoes lately either. I decided to reintroduce shade vegetables and fruits back into the diet after I drop some more weight.














This is my view out my back door, so I was eating and watching the deer as they were roaming through the forest that surrounds my development...but, they were to quick for my camera talents...














I am not so sure this red on red (bowl/sauce) was a great idea, but this is a closer view of the Tuscan bean and veggie salsa sauce I made...

1 package moosehead gluten free pasta
1 Can great northern beans, rinse
1/2 cup carrots small chop
1/2 red onion small chop
handful of shredded arugula
1 cup salsa (cilantro, onion, garlic, lime juice, tomatoes in chilies)

Boil the carrots and onions with the pasta to soften a bit, and then drain off veggie stock (save for another time), and add beans, shredded arugula and salsa while the other stuff is warm...

Was spicy the way I like, the beans added protein, and while the pasta was not my choice, but you could not even tell there was a difference in flavor, because the salsa blew it right out of the bowl! Ahhhhh I got my pasta, and I feel like my long days ahead will pass with a greater ease...

NOTE: Debates aside, but this could either be considered an Arrabbiata sauce with the spice and penne pasta, but my info says it is also a Tuscan dish because of the beans and greens I slipped in...don't you just love the freedom of choice and the word 'fusion'...

Mommy gourmet wrote a post 'Humbled & Excited' about her getting an award and passed it on to me, so I would like to thank her for the very nice thing she said about me and show off the award!

"Chef E at Behind the Wheel Chef is fantastic. Her blog is beautiful, fun, funny, and lovely in one pretty package. She is full of great ideas and lovely meals" said Mommy Gourmet, and I say right back at ya my blog friend!