The pungent smell of garlic in spaghetti sauce, along with the crunchy texture and cheesy taste of garlic toast do not have to be things of the past for people who suffer from celiac disease. The following instructions can help in preparing a delicious gluten-free spaghetti dinner, including homemade sauce.
Homemade Gluten-free Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 large can organic tomatoes (28oz - 796ml)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
- 2 - 3 tbsp brown sugar (or to taste)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- ½ green pepper (chopped)
- ½ yellow pepper (or other colors)
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms (chopped)
- ½ tsp oregano (or to taste)
- ½ tsp basil (or to taste)
- 1 tbsp tapioca flour (for thickening if sauce is too thin)
Note: Salt can be added to taste, but tomatoes already contain a lot of natural sodium, so it isn’t necessary.
Steps:
- The tomatoes need to be blended for a few seconds. Then they should be added to a pot with all of the other ingredients.
- The tomatoes and other ingredients should be simmered for 1 and 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until desired taste is reached. If, at the end of cooking, the sauce is too thin, the tapioca flour can be used as a thickener.
- Note: There isn’t any meat added directly to this sauce. It can be used with a vegetarian meal. Ground meat (chicken, pork, beef, etc.) can be cooked on the side and added as a topping on the pasta before the sauce is added. This also allows individuals to add how much protein they want to consume.
Gluten-free Pasta
When the sauce is almost ready, the pasta can be cooked (about 1 hour into sauce cooking time). Any desired ground meat can be cooked at this time, too.
This recipe uses gluten-free rice pasta, but any gluten-free pasta can be used. The rice pasta needs to be rinsed in cold water because it tends to be very thick with starch.
Gluten-free Cheese Garlic Bread and Garlic Butter
Prepare the garlic butter by mixing 1 clove crushed garlic and 1 tsp chives with ½ cup of margarine or butter. The ingredients can be increased as preferred.
It is best to use a familiar and preferred gluten-free bread. It should be lightly toasted and then spread with the garlic butter.
Shredded goat's cheese (or another preferred kind) can be sprinkled on top of the toast. The toast can be broiled for a short time to melt the cheese. Again, this recipe can be changed to vegetarian by leaving the cheese out.
Gluten-free bread is best served warm because it is dry and tends to harden quickly.
This is a complete meal that can be served with a nice green salad and a bottle of red wine. A family dealing with celiac disease need not be deprived of the enjoyment of preparing and eating a spaghetti dinner.
For another gluten-free pasta meal see Healthy Gluten-free Goulash Recipe. See Gluten-free Tofu Burger Platter for another complete gluten-free meal.
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