Pasta Recipes

Caulipower: Quite Possibly THE Best Gluten-Free Pasta

February 1, 2022 By Joi Sigers

Caulipower Linguine with Meat Sauce

Years ago, when I had to give up gluten and wheat (health reasons), the first f0ur things I thought of were…

doughnuts
pasta
fried catfish
pizza

These are four of my favorite things in life and have been since my life began. I was afraid there’d be no hope to enjoy these great loves ever again and, frankly, with doughnuts, my prediction held true. There ARE gluten-free doughnuts, of course, but they are not the ones I remember from bakeries.

Until fairly recently, the pizza and pasta prediction also held fast, but lately, great strides have been made and (as a pasta and pizza fanatic) I couldn’t be more thankful.

However… when it comes to gluten-free pasta, it has always been a case of, “this one is pretty good” or “this one’s acceptable” instead of anything close to, ‘Holy cats, this gluten-free pasta is outstanding and tastes like the pasta I remember!”

Then I found Caulipower’s new gluten-free pastas – let’s just say it’s a GAME CHANGER.

(Review Continued Below….)

Caulipower Linguine

Caulipower is a brand I’ve been familiar with for a while because I buy their gluten-free pizza crusts (Amazon link) and gluten-free pizzas (they’re outstanding and I actually now prefer cauliflower crust to regular gluten-free crust). When my youngest daughter told me they had come out with gluten-free pasta, I’m not even exaggerating… I went to the store immediately. They’re in the frozen section and, while I first wondered about them being packaged frozen, I now LOVE the fact. This allows them to cook in just three minutes!

THREE MINUTES! Simply boil the water, add the frozen pasta, stir, and get ready to plate the deliciousness. The first one I tried was the Caulipower linguine because I’ve had difficulty finding linguine in a gluten-free pasta AND I love it.

For anyone who loves “meal prep hacks,” pasta night doesn’t get any better. Simply make up your pasta sauce (I always add ground beef, garlic, onions, green pepper, and mushrooms) and put it into a container in the refrigerator. When it’s time to make supper, warm up your sauce and cook your three minute pasta!

CauliPower Linguine Pasta

I love that the portion is perfect for two people (with a little left over even) and the fact that it cooks so quickly makes it IDEAL for busy weeknights. The best thing, however, is the fact that it is delicious! I added a little salt to the water like I do with all pasta, then added it to a meat sauce I had made beforehand.

While you could, of course, simply top the pasta with sauce, I thought adding it TO the meat sauce would make sure there was no cauliflower taste to detect. Mind you, I am obsessed with cauliflower, so it would make me giddy if there was a cauliflower taste but my husband is not a cauliflower fan, so I wanted to make sure that IF there was any flavor there, the sauce would mask it.

I tasted the pasta before adding it to the sauce and, even then, it was simply outstanding – no cauliflower taste and, best of all, it had the true consistency of “normal” pasta. Most gluten-free pasta you find in the stores is tough and not remotely “pasta-like” when it comes to the mouth feel. This one is so perfect it nearly brought a tear to my pasta-missing eye.

But it gets better.

If you’re familiar with gluten-free pasta, you know that leftovers are hideous. Gluten-free pasta, after being refrigerated and warmed-up gets even tougher. Not Caulipower pasta! When I warmed it up the next day, it tasted just like I had just made it fresh.

Now that’s what I’m talking about.

(Review Wrapped Up Below…)

CauliPower Linguine Pasta with Meat Sauce

Before allowing you to get on with your life, I just wanted to point out two things to let you know just how excited I am about Caulipower pasta and how thrilled I am to have found it:

This is NOT a paid post, NOT sponsored, and NOT in any way associated with the Caulipower brand. I was NOT sent coupons or products to review. This is simply a case of a pasta lover who has to eat gluten-free finally finding the pasta that makes her excited to eat pasta again!
Many times, after I have a food or use a product, I will schedule a time in the future (maybe a week later) to blog about it on the food blog. This particular pasta I tried just last night for supper and just warmed it up for lunch. I was SO anxious to share the good news that I dropped everything to sit down and tell you all about it.

If you have to eat gluten-free, are cutting back on carbs… OR simply want a more convenient and delicious pasta, I hope you’ll try Caulipower pasta as soon as possible. It’s a perfect 10 out of 10 and, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go have a little more.

Caulipower Pasta

Easy Gluten-Free Lasagna with Explore Cuisine Green Lentil (No Boil!) Noodles

September 6, 2017 By Joi Sigers

Gluten-Free Lasagna with Explore Cuisine Organic Green Lentil Noodles

Gluten-free lasagna just got easier and healthier – and if you love lasagna like Garfield the cat and I do, this is the kind of good news you’ve been waiting for.

Explore Cuisine makes a wonderful line of gluten-free pastas that will change your entire pasta game. They’re delicious – dare I say far more delicious than they sound like they’d be. I mean, let’s be serious, even those of us who love vegetables to distraction would be a little skeptical about Green Lentil Lasagna Noodles. I know I was! When I first used them to make lasagna, I was half-tempted to make one with traditional gluten-free noodles too, you know… just – in – case.

I didn’t take this crazy precautionary step and it turns out I didn’t need to. These noodles have a really wonderful, understated flavor that couldn’t work more beautifully with tomato sauces if it had to.

Not only are these noodles gluten-free and delicious, they don’t have to be boiled before building your lasagna. I am so over the process of handling limp HOT lasagna noodles, so that’s a dream come true for me and my hands.

{Continued Below…}

Explore Cuisine Organic Green Lentil Lasagna on AmazonAbout Explore Cuisine:

Explore Cuisine products are vegan, organic, gluten-free, and kosher, ensuring your health and igniting your taste buds! For example, our delicious bean pastas contain nearly 20-25 grams of protein per serving and are low in carbs and sodium while simultaneously containing a high fiber content. With Explore Cuisine, you’ll experience the incomparable taste of pasta with all the benefits of nutritious beans! Read More…

There is a wonderful recipe for Vegetable Lasagna on Explore Cuisine’s blog – just click the link to check it out. It’s out of this world – fresh and delicious.

The first lasagna I made with these noodles was, however, my “go to” lasagna I’ve been making for 112 years. The recipe is below and, thanks to these no-boil noodles, it couldn’t be easier.

A Few Notes:

If you use a pasta sauce that already contains garlic – leave the garlic out of the recipe. The same is true of one with bell peppers, or onions.
You can add a small (drained) can of sliced mushrooms in with the onion and bell pepper.
I like my lasagna extra saucy, but if you prefer your lasagna a little more “traditional,” only use one jar of pasta sauce instead of 1-1/2.
Always check pasta sauce for the gluten-free label. Some actually are not gluten-free. Always, always check.

Review: Going Against the Grain – Italian Style!

May 5, 2015 By Joi Sigers

When you find out you have to eat gluten free, yet LOVE Italian food with a capital L, O, V, and E, life loses a bit of its luster. Until, that is, you find a cookbook with authentic Italian recipes that are all.. you guessed it… gluten free.

Welcome back to my world, luster!

I received a copy of the wonderful new cookbook Going Against the Grain – Italian Style to review on the food blog. For whatever reasons, I expected the recipes to be complicated and filled with difficult-to-find-and-perhaps-even-pronounce ingredients. Fortunately I was wrong on all accounts. The recipes aren’t just doable, they’re very easy and the ingredients are readily available.

The beautiful author (Nuccia Ardagna) is Sicilian, so she knows better than most what makes an Italian meal taste Italian – she knows how to bring out the bold, beautiful, and unmistakable deliciousness that is Italian cuisine.

All while keeping everything gluten free.

{Review Continued Beneath the Picture}

Some of these gluten free Italian recipes include:

Hearty Sicilian Broccoli Soup in Tomato Broth
Hearty Sicilian Minestrone
Fresh Tomatoes and Pesto Rotini
Breadcrumb Pasta
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Chicken Cacciatore
Grilled Fennel
Gluten Free Panna Cotta With Blueberries
Fruit Parfait with Ricotta
Cauliflower Crust Pizza with Arugula, Pesto, and Goat Cheese
Classic Potato Gnocchi
Stuffed Cabbage
Sicilian Citrus Salad
And many, many more!

Nuccia Ardangna also gives her tools of the trade, valuable tips, personal resources, and even her favorite gluten free pastas. She also lists her favorite bakeries and gluten free food and snacks.

Introduction: This two-part book is a vital adjunct to any home attempting to be gluten-free. The first part guides you through early diagnosis and is an essential guide for any beginner diagnosed with celiac disease or some form of gluten sensitivity. You will learn how to identify symptoms of the disease, how celiac disease is diagnosed, and the consequences if left untreated. It will help you to understand how to read labels and how to manage your gluten-free home in a shared environment. It outlines practical advice for parents of children with celiac disease as well as tips for eating out and dealing with social settings such as special occasions or when traveling. Honorary foreword provided by renowned Dr. Peter HR Green, MD – Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University.

Growing up authentically Sicilian, Nuccia Ardagna thought that getting rid of gluten meant giving up her favorite traditional foods, but that could not be further from the truth! Nuccia combines her passion for eating amazingly Italian with her new dietary needs to bring you scrumptious, traditional Italian (and Sicilian) recipes. From simple, classic appetizers to decadent desserts you thought you could never enjoy, every recipe is easy-to-follow and offers beautiful full-color pictures throughout. You can feel confident about entertaining guests and family with these mouth-watering recipes. You can eat healthier, feel better, and truly enjoy living gluten-free while never having to sacrifice great taste! In this book, Nuccia not only shares her personal story with celiac disease but also the recipes she grew up with at home and uses to entertain guests. Look for the bonus section at the end of the book along with a section dedicated to her favorite links and resources. – From Amazon

Going Against the Grain – Italian Style is an essential resource for those who are fairly new to eating gluten free. My oldest daughter, Emily, and I had to give up gluten for health reasons a couple of years ago. I’ve been adding gluten free cookbooks to my cookbook collection – bread, desserts, etc. As someone who is obsessed with Italian food, I’m thrilled to now have a “go to” cookbook for Italian gluten free recipes.

If you or anyone you know is new to the gluten free way of life, Going Against the Grain – Italian Style is a must have.

The wonderful thing is, this cookbook is also a must have for those who have had to eat gluten free so long that they’ve forgotten what whole wheat bread tastes like. The recipes are just outstanding and the author has a natural gift for writing that feels like a friendly visit.

In addition to the wonderful recipes, tips (I especially love her expert opinion on the best gluten free pastas on the market!), and advice, I also love the fact that the book is packed with big beautiful photographs of each recipe. A lot of cookbooks will give you pictures of a few recipes… or sometimes even just a sketch. When a cookbook provides a big, colorful photograph of each recipe, I feel like they went above and beyond what they could get away with and… let’s just be honest here… I totally appreciate that.

I also appreciate that these recipes aren’t just “gluten free,” but are also healthy in every other way. As a mother to a ridiculously adorable little boy, the author, herself, puts a great value on healthy eating and it shows in her recipes.

Going Against the Grain – Italian Style is perfect in every way and I hope you’ll add it to your cookbook collection right away. I know you’ll love it as much as I do.

A Word on the Recipe Part of the Book
by Nuccia Ardagna
I really love food and I really enjoy preparing exquisite culinary creations for my family and friends. I am not a chef, but growing up with my Sicilian mom, aunts and grandmothers I certainly learned how to cook. We maintained our tradition of making our own sauce, marinating our own vegetables, making our own wine and growing our own garden. We may not have had much, but we always ate well that’s for sure. Maybe it’s in our DNA, who knows, but when I was suddenly forced to follow a strict gluten-free diet, after the initial panic subsided I knew I could make this work. It would take time and effort but I knew it wasn’t impossible.

So let’s talk about the recipes in this book and why I chose them. There are millions of cookbooks out there. There are many cooking channels featuring renowned chefs on TV. Each bring their own special something to the table. In this day and age, no one is reinventing the wheel when it comes to cooking, however we are all trying to eat healthier and putting a little bit of ourselves into our dishes.

I am no different. I don’t promise recipes you’ve never heard of before. Sometimes, just a tiny tweak to an old classic is enough to impress. In my case, I had to take old, favorite recipes I grew up with and in many cases modify them, as they now needed to be gluten-free.

My motto, which I emphasize in my book, is to stick to healthy fruits, vegetables and lean meats, all of which incidentally are gluten-free. There is of course the pasta and breaded dishes that required modification but short of making your own pasta from scratch or making your own breadcrumbs, these dishes require purchasing ready-made items.

I wanted my book to be simple enough for a beginner but wanted to include some of the more elaborate dishes as well in hopes that I could cater to those who aren’t so new in the kitchen. Many cookbook reviewers will not enjoy a particular book because of its simplicity while others might criticize the complexity of the recipes or the ingredients contained in other books. Bottom line is that you can’t please everyone and that’s fine too.

My goal was to keep it simple featuring classic recipes. Some may surprise you as to why I would include them in the book (like the prosciutto-melone antipasto) but I really wanted to because they are true classics and gluten-free to boot, not to mention a crowd-pleaser. Other recipes are native to Sicily and while some of these are simple and others require a little more effort, the goal was to share our heritage with you.

These recipes were was not meant to dazzle you with complex ingredients, but rather to help you eat well, simple while you are adapting to your new gluten-free lifestyle.
I hope you enjoy the carefully selected recipes. Stay tuned for a new book that will feature elaborate menus.

Find Going Against the Grain – Italian Style! on Amazon. This is one you’ll definitely want to add to your cookbook collection.

Helpful Links:

Nuccia’s Website
Book Tour Schedule for Going Against the Grain – Italian Style!

Paderno Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer (Review)

October 22, 2013 By Joi Sigers

Like everyone these days, I’m always on the look out for ways to add more vegetables and fruits to my family’s diet. The recommended daily amount is higher than most people realize PLUS most experts recommend we go even higher than the recommended number for optimum health. See the Recommended Daily Fruit and Vegetable Calculator to find your own personal recommendations.

My family also likes to cut back on unnecessary carbs whenever possible, too. We’ve found a pretty cool way to accomplish both of these goals (while providing me with another fun kitchen gadget in the process). We bought the Paderno World Cuisine Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer off Amazon a few weeks ago and I love it even more each time I use it.

The first meal I used this cool slicer for was a Zucchini “Pasta” Salad. I made long, spiral noodles (pictured above) from a couple of zucchinis and combined them with chopped grape tomatoes, diced red onion and chopped red, yellow, and green bell peppers. I mixed up the always delicious dressing recipe on the back of all Hidden Valley Italian Dressing Mixes and covered the vegetables. After about 30 minutes in the fridge, it made an absolutely delicious cold salad. I mean, reallllly delicious.

I’ve also used the Spiral Vegetable Slicer (Amazon link) for salads and soups. It’s faster and easier than traditional shredders and slicers. This walking accident-waiting-to-happen has found it to be much safer for the fingers and hands as well. And, trust me, if it’s safe for this accident prone klutz, it’s safe for just about anyone.

One night, I was craving Italian, so I pulled out the spiral vegetable slicer. I had read, online, that A LOT of people enjoyed their spiral cut zucchini (raw) with hot spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce over it. I was anxious to give it a try, so I grabbed a few zucchinis. I had cans of Italian Style Diced Tomatoes on hand, so I simply warmed them up – adding fresh basil, oregano, chopped garlic, and salt. We put the tomato mixture on top of our raw zucchini and were SHOCKED at how great it was. I didn’t peel my zucchini but a lot of people prefer it peeled. Most of the time, I hate to peel veggies because it seems kind of wasteful to me.

Besides, I like the colors. 🙂

About the Paderno Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer:

Make quick work of fancy vegetable peeling with the spiral vegetable slicer – it’s incredibly fast, easy, and even fun to use.
Suction cups on the legs hold the slicer in place beautifully while you work your mojo. I read a review once that said the suction cups didn’t work – all I can say is they must have been trying to use them on a wet surface or something because I’ve had less than zero problems getting it to stick.
Clean up couldn’t be any easier. I hate, loathe, and despise contraptions that have 101 parts to clean after each use. This spiral slicer is a cinch to clean.
Includes 3 sets of blades: 1/8-inch spacing, 1/4-inch spacing, and straight blade for ribbon cuts.
This VERY affordable plastic spiral vegetable slicer would make a great gift idea for foodies, vegetarians, and anyone who enjoys good food!
Simply place vegetable or fruit on prongs, turn wheel while pushing base toward blade.
Made of durable plastic.
Backed by a 1-year warranty.

Even one of the biggest pasta lovers in the world (that would be me) thought the zucchini noodles, tomatoes, and shredded Parmesan made a delicious meal. Served with a colorful tossed salad, this meal is an excellent way to get your daily vegetable serving count up.

I haven’t used the slicer for coleslaw yet, but it occurs to me how much it’ll simplify the process – cabbage, peppers, carrots.. all sliced in one place for an especially lovely coleslaw.

The spiral slicer isn’t, of course, just limited to vegetables. Just look at the cute apple strips above. You don’t even have to core the apple before using the spiral slicer. Just cut off the top of the apple, place it on the spiral slicer and push it through the blade. In seconds, you have cool little rings for fruit salads, oatmeal, pastries, or snacks. Honestly, I could sit a bowl of apples on the end of the counter and my bunch will walk right past them 100 times a day. But if I put a dish with spirals or strips out… BAM! They disappear.

I’ll be using the spiral slicer regularly and can’t wait to find exciting and cool new ways to get the most out of it. See Paderno World Cuisine A4982799 Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer (Amazon link) for more information. I highly, highly recommend this slicer.