Broccoli and Spinach Protein Pasta

Welcome back to The Dairy Free Diaries!! Hope you guys had an amazing week and are ready for a delicious recipe this week. At the beginning of my gluten and dairy free journey, I thought I would never be able to eat Italian food again. Ordering was quite impossible because the menu consisted of gluten filled bread and pasta AND cheese is basically a staple ingredient in all of the entrees.

So, I decided to make my own version right at home. I was shocked to found that the grocery store sold gluten free pastas of all different types. There are so many options made from chickpeas, gluten free flour, brown rice, lentils, and so much more. I have tried them all and am here to share my go to’s for this recipe.

But before I do, I want to note how simple and easy this recipe actually is. It consists of only 5 ingredients, all of which are whole and nutrient dense foods. In addition, this recipe is gluten free, dairy free, peanut free, vegan, and vegetarian. I understand how difficult it can be to maneuver life with a restrictive way of eating, so I try to make sure that my recipes cater to as many different ways of eating as possible. Hope you enjoy!

Now let's talk ingredients!

Protein Pasta

There are so many variations out there depending on your preferences all containing great sources of protein. If you are vegan and vegetarian, this is an excellent way to get whole, nutrient dense protein without eating meat. For all of my gluten free people out there, my favorite gluten free pasta brands would have to be the Trader Joe’s Brown Rice and Quinoa Fusilli, as well as Barilla’s gluten free penne pasta, which I will be using to make this recipe but both will be linked down below.

Rao’s Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce

When I discovered this pasta sauce I was amazed, and it has been a staple in my pantry ever since. It tastes just like a restaurant quality sauce, but with only 8 whole ingredients. These being whole peeled tomatoes, olive oil, onions, basil, salt, garlic, black pepper, and dried oregano. This definitely passes the “can you read the label?” rule from my previous posts. Another great thing about this is that it not only can be used as a pasta sauce, but I absolutely love using it for pizza or an excellent dipping sauce.

Veggies: Broccoli and Spinach

This is one of the areas where you are free to customize your veggies based on your tastes. The reason I love this recipe is because it is a great way to sneak in some veggies. I prefer to use broccoli because it gives the creamy pasta a nice crunch and spinach is perfect because it melts right into the sauce. If you are someone who has a difficult time getting in those veggies, this is the recipe for you!

Nutritional Yeast

So, this last thing is completely optional, but I strongly suggest you invest in a bottle of nutritional yeast. It is an excellent cheese replacement that contains a wide variety of beneficial vitamins and minerals. I will usually top off my bowl of pasta with a couple of spoonsful or mix it in and it gives the pasta that nutty, cheese flavor, but in a much lighter fashion. Pasta can often be seen as a heavier dish, which is why I love the lightness the nutritional yeast adds to it.