pasta lovers rejoice
Gluten-free fusilli with walnut lemon ricotta sauce and peas
We really want to share the recipe for this delicious dish made with our favourite gluten-free pasta. But first, we have some exciting news to share!
If you’ve been following Gluten Free Garage for the past seven years or if you’ve been to any of our pop-up gluten-free markets in that time, you know that our go-to pasta is Italpasta.
It’s the pasta we use at home and it’s the pasta we showcase at Gluten Free Garage because it’s the best gluten-free dry pasta out there. And, rest assured, we’ve tried them all!
Made from a blend of four different grains—corn (non-GMO), rice, buckwheat and quinoa—Italpasta gluten-free pasta is just like “regular” pasta when it comes to taste and texture. It’s flavourful; it has the right amount of chewiness (not goopy or mushy like rice pasta can be and not tough like corn pasta can be); it holds its shape and it holds on to the sauce.
The best testimonial for Italpasta gluten-free pasta comes from my younger daughter, who does not have celiac. Though she eats gluten free at home, because our house is entirely gluten free, she eats gluten out—at her grandparents’ or friends’ houses or when we go to certain restaurants—and she’s had her fill of wheat-based pasta. She says that she can’t tell the difference between Italpasta gluten-free pasta and regular pasta. And, she adds, “This year I’m going to have five dishes of Italpasta pasta at Gluten Free Garage!”
To top it off, Italpasta GF pasta is certified gluten free by the Gluten Free Certification Program endorsed by the Canadian Celiac Association, so it’s 100% safe for my older daughter and other people with celiac disease! Also, besides being gluten free, it’s also free from dairy and eggs.
So now for our exciting news: Italpasta will be back at Gluten Free Garage this year as our lead sponsor! On May 26th at Artscape Wychwood Barns, they’ll be sampling two different kinds of pasta—one veg, one meat—so there will be something for all you g-free pasta lovers!
Italpasta’s Chef Gianni Ceschia prepping penne for the pasta-loving crowds at last year’s Gluten Free Garage
Gluten-Free Fusilli with Walnut Lemon Ricotta Sauce and Peas
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Serves: 2
Ingredients
1/4 pkg Italpasta Gluten Free Fusilli (460 g)
1 tbsp Italpasta Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted, divided
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
lemon zest
3/8 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
Instructions
Place half of the toasted walnuts in a mini food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the ricotta and pulse again until smooth and set aside.
Bring a small pot of salted water to boil and cook the fusilli until just under al dente, following package instructions. Reserve 3/8 cup (90 ml) of pasta water, then drain.
In a medium-sized skillet, add olive oil, garlic and thyme and sauté on medium heat for 1 minute or until garlic and thyme are fragrant.
Add the walnut and ricotta mixture, salt and 3/4 of the pasta water and bring to a simmer to heat through.
Add cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese and lemon zest, and toss well to coat.
Next add the lemon juice and peas, toss and simmer for a couple of minutes until peas are heated through, adding more pasta water if needed to thin out sauce.
Roughly chop remaining toasted walnuts and sprinkle over pasta. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley.
