Pasta Fresca is a veggie-packed pasta dish that cooks in lower than quarter-hour. This simple dinner recipe is recent, mild, and filling!

Final month just a few pals and I headed out for dinner and drinks adopted by a comedy present that includes the one and solely Trey Kennedy. He was SO humorous! I didn’t know if a sketch comedy-style man would translate into an excellent get up comic, however he nailed it. You even have to understand when a PG-themed comic can get a complete viewers rolling with out uttering a single swear phrase.

10/10 + two thumbs up + extremely suggest!

One in all my pals and I have been discussing the present the subsequent day and he or she stated, “…it felt so good to LAUGH” and that hit me proper within the feels. It DID really feel so good to snicker! When’s the final time you laughed for an hour straight? Heck, even 5 minutes? Could all of us have extra moments to snicker in our lives.

Right now I’m sharing a really feel good second within the type of a veggie-packed pasta dinner recipe that not solely delivers a recent taste punch, however cooks within the period of time it takes to boil a field of penne pasta.

10/10 + two thumbs up + extremely suggest the recipe for Pasta Fresca!

Copy Cat Noodles & Firm Pasta Fresca Recipe

Within the early days of Ben’s and my marriage we ate at Noodles & Firm each single week. I’d get Japanese Pan Noodles and he’d get Pasta Fresca. No deviation. Ever. Since our gluten-filled pasta-take-out days are lengthy gone, I made a decision to recreate Ben’s favourite right here at dwelling — this time, no gluten required.

Pasta Fresca is gluten free penne pasta tossed with a medley of recent greens together with crimson onion, child spinach, and tomatoes, tons of recent garlic, a shortcut balsamic sauce, and the cheese topper of your alternative.

Did I point out it cooks within the time it takes to boil a field of noodles? This simple, vegetarian pasta recipe is as fast and simple, as it’s healthful and scrumptious.

Elements Wanted

• Penne pasta: I like to recommend Jovial gluten free brown rice penne. Be happy to make use of your alternative of pasta — rotini, ziti, or rigatoni can be nice shapes to make use of.
• Crimson onion: sliced crimson onion supplies shade and taste.
• Garlic: there’s 6 — sure, six! — cloves of recent garlic on this pasta recipe for tons of garlicky taste. Be happy to dial again if you happen to’re a medium on the garlic-loving scale.
• Tomatoes: chopped vine-ripened tomatoes or Roma tomatoes assist create a lightweight pasta sauce. Halved cherry tomatoes can be nice in the event that they’re in season.
• Child spinach: I add a complete 5oz clamshell of recent spinach to this dish to pump up the veggies. Give the spinach a tough chop earlier than sauting if the leaves are giant.
• Balsamic French dressing: retailer purchased balsamic French dressing — salad dressing, y’all — doubles as a simple, flavorful sauce for the pasta. I’ll share my favourite model under.
• Parmesan or Feta cheese: Noodles & Firm provides you the selection of shredded parmesan cheese or crumbled feta cheese to high your Pasta Fresca with. I favor feta, whereas Ben goes with parm. You could possibly use a plant-based cheese to make this dish vegan.

Easy methods to Add (Extra) Protein

As written, this Pasta Fresca recipe is vegetarian and could be made vegan if you happen to use a plant-based cheese. That stated, the brown rice pasta, spinach, and tomatoes are nice sources of plant-based protein! If you happen to’re trying to stretch the dish a bit extra although, listed here are some protein choices so as to add to the recipe:

1. Rooster: Earlier than sauting the crimson onions, season 1lb diced hen breast with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper then saute in additional virgin olive oil till cooked by way of. Scoop right into a bowl then put aside. Add to the pasta cooking pot in step 3.
2. Shrimp: Roast 1lb shrimp or, previous to sauting the crimson onions, cube 1lb jumbo shrimp into bite-sized items then season and saute just like the hen breast possibility above.
3. Salmon: a roasted or Air Fried salmon filet can be divine served subsequent to a scoop of Pasta Fresca. Season merely with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Italian Sausage: Earlier than sauting the crimson onions, brown 3/4lb spicy or candy Italian sausage then drain, put aside, and add into the pot on the finish.
5. Beans: I don’t usually love a double carb supply in a meal (pasta + beans for instance) however if you happen to don’t have this identical, very particular recipe ick, add a can of drained and rinsed garbanzo beans or nice northern beans to the pot with the spinach combination on the finish to warmth by way of.
6. Excessive protein pasta: Use a bean or lentil-based pasta like Banza or Tolerant, respectively, which pack a TON of protein!
7. Extra veggies! Mushrooms, asparagus, peas, and/or chopped zucchini would all make wonderful additions to this pasta dish to pump up the plant-based protein.

Alright, able to prepare dinner?!

Easy methods to Make Pasta Fresca

Step 1: Prepare dinner the pasta

Begin by including a 12oz field of gluten free penne pasta, or your favourite pasta form, into a big pot of salted boiling water then prepare dinner in response to package deal instructions for al dente. Drain then put aside. Hold the pasta cooking pot out as we’ll use it to mix all of the components on the finish.

Step 2: Prepare dinner the greens

When the pasta is midway finished cooking, warmth additional virgin olive oil in a 12″+ giant skillet over warmth that’s a contact above medium. Add sliced crimson onion, season with salt and pepper, then saute till the onions till crisp tender, 3-4 minutes.

Subsequent add plenty of minced recent garlic then saute till the garlic begins to show mild brown, 1-2 minutes, being very cautious to not let it burn.

To the skillet add chopped recent tomatoes then saute till they start to melt, 1-2 minutes. Use your spatula to loosen any brown bits from the underside of the skillet with the juices from the tomatoes.

Lastly, add child spinach, roughly chopped if the leaves are giant, then saute till the spinach begins to wilt, 1-2 minutes. I like to change to tongs at this level to assist get all the things blended up.

You possibly can see the spinach actually cooks down!

Now, if the pasta isn’t finished cooking but, take away the skillet from the warmth so the spinach doesn’t overcook.

Step 3: Mix pasta and greens with French dressing

Add the cooked pasta again into the pasta cooking pot with the spinach combination plus Balsamic French dressing, which is able to create a lightweight, flavorful sauce for the pasta. I like Ken’s Easy French dressing Balsamic Vinegar for the job!

Flip the warmth to low then stir all the things to mix, warmth by way of, and absolutely wilt the spinach.

Step 4: High with cheese

Scoop the Pasta Fresca into bowls then high with crumbled feta or shredded parmesan cheese. I like feta as a result of it creates a lightweight and creamy sauce, however there’s one thing undeniably scrumptious a few easy, nutty sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

That’s all she wrote – advised you this straightforward pasta dish was fast and simple!

Easy methods to Retailer and Reheat

Ought to you could have any leftovers, scoop them into an hermetic container with a lid then retailer within the fridge. Reheat within the microwave. I don’t normally love reheated gluten free pasta, however the greens and balsamic French dressing hold the pasta from getting too onerous within the fridge / falling aside when reheating.

Nevertheless you serve it, I hope you’re keen on this feel-good, fast and simple gluten free Pasta Fresca recipe — take pleasure in!

Extra Mild and Simple Pasta Recipes

Pictures by Ashley McLaughlin