Gluten-Free Rigatoni Mediterranean
Taking a break from the recipe makeovers…
My brother was in town last week. He was diagnosed with celiac disease a little over a year ago, something that has had a fairly significant impact on my cooking. For holidays and visits, I’ve had to re-envision old favorites like chocolate cake, fried chicken and pasta without gluten. I was surprised to discover that once you know what you’re doing, in most cases you can hardly even tell which recipes are gluten-free.
One of my brother’s all-time favorite dishes has always been Chicken Parmigiana. That’s not a very celiac-friendly dish, and because of his food allergies it’s hard to come up with dishes that provide enough vegetables and fiber. This baked pasta dish provides many of the flavors present in Chicken Parmigiana, without the problematic ingredients.
Gluten-Free Rigatoni Mediterranean
Ingredients
1 pound uncooked brown rice penne (I like Trader Joe’s brand)
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
5 1/2 cups diced peeled eggplant (about 1 pound)
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (about 6)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can basic marinara sauce (Again- I like Trader Joe’s canned organic sauce.)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant to pan, and sauté 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in pan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add zucchini and green onions to pan; cook for 6 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add chopped basil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Combine pasta, eggplant, and tomato mixture in a large bowl; stir in shredded mozzarella. Transfer the pasta mixture to a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 15 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes.
Makes 10 servings (serving size: about 2 cups)
Nutritional Information
CALORIES 346(29% from fat); FAT 11g (sat 4g,mono 5.3g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 15.7g; CHOLESTEROL 17mg; CALCIUM 224mg; SODIUM 397mg; FIBER 5g; IRON 2.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.7g
Modified from a recipe in Cooking Light.