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Tomato, Basil and Roasted Pine Nut Penne (Gluten Free) Recipe

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This recipe for Tomato, Basil and Roasted Pine Nut Penne (Gluten Free) is from Recipes with Love, one of the cookbooks created at FamilyCookbookProject.com. We'll help you start your own personal cookbook! It's easy and fun. Click here to start your own cookbook!


Category:
Category:

Ingredients:  
Ingredients:  
(Forgive me for imprecise measurements - I learned to cook desi style. Embrace the imprecision, that's what makes it an adventure!)

-Half a bag of gluten free penne pasta (We use Whole Foods 365 brand)
-10 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
-A small handful of raw pine nuts
-A small handful of raw basil leaves
-A pinch of dry oregano
-5 or 6 baby bella mushrooms
-3 cloves of garlic, chopped large
-A handful of raw baby spinach leaves
-White cooking wine (I just grab some cheapo Charles Shaw from Trader Joe's)
-Olive oil
-Salt


Directions:
Directions:
Part One: Prep Vegetables
Rinse, chop and prepare your vegetables to your liking and set aside.

Part Two: Roast Pine Nuts
1. Preheat a small pan on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes
2. Add a handful of pine nuts to the pan, no oil or other seasoning.
3. Gently shake around pine nuts until they start browning. The moment they begin to visibly brown, turn off the heat and transfer pine nuts to a separate bowl.

Part Three: Boil Pasta
1. Bring water to a rolling boil in a 2 qt. or larger pot on medium heat.
2. Add a generous heaping of salt (maybe 1 tbsp.)
3. Add penne pasta to the boiling water and allow to cook for 8-10 minutes.
4. IMPORTANT: Taste a piece of pasta. If it is a bit chewy (al-dente) then it's done. Remove pasta from boiling water and set aside.
5. ALSO IMPORTANT: Save a small bowl of pasta water (about 1 cup). You'll need it in the next step.

Part Four: Fry it Up
1. Preheat a stainless steel or ceramic nonstick pan on medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
2. Add about 2 tbsp of olive oil and spread around to coat the pan evenly.
3. Throw in garlic, mushrooms, pasta and a pinch of salt and fry it up. Allow garlic to lightly brown and pasta to get a crispy surface on at least one side. Turn up the heat if this is taking a while.
4. Once garlic and pasta are visibly lightly browning (and maybe even sticking to the pan), add in spinach, cherry tomatoes, a pinch of oregano and another pinch of salt. Mix it all up for 1-2 minutes. Don't worry if it sticks to the pan - this is called a Maillard reaction, and you want it to happen.
5. Add 1/2 cup of white wine and 1/2 cup of the pasta water you saved earlier. Mix around and allow all the browned bits on the pan to loosen up. Raise the heat to allow the liquid to evaporate quickly as you continue to mix..
6. As the liquid evaporates off to the consistency of your choice turn off the heat, Throw in raw basil and pine nuts. Add another pinch of salt, mix and serve.

If you're feeling adventurous, top with a fried egg, shaved parmesan and some truffle salt.

Number Of Servings:
Number Of Servings:
4
Preparation Time:
Preparation Time:
30 Minutes
Personal Notes:
Personal Notes:
This is a married life recipe that is both practical and tasty. I don't really have any childhood memories from this one, but I figure you guys will enjoy it. Weekdays be busy. This recipe doesn't take very long but provides a pretty solid meal, and the leftovers are good in the fridge for a day or two. This recipe is one that Maskura and I can count on in a pinch rather than being lured by carry out options when we are pressed for time.

The best part about this penne pasta is that while it's quick and easy to make, it can be dressed up to give it a "sense of occasion." So, yeah, maybe it's a random Tuesday but go ahead and light a candle, put on some Sinatra and enjoy your meal. Maybe even get up for a dance before doing the dishes!

 

 

 

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