Gluten Free Superfood Pesto Pasta Recipe

Gluten Free Superfood Pasta Recipe

What are superfoods? Basically they are nutrient-dense foods that are considered to be especially good for your health and well-being. They are foods that pack a lot of bang for the buck as it were. This Gluten Free Superfood Pasta Recipe is as super as it can get.

According to current research, people who eat lots of superfoods are generally healthier, are at lower risk of getting chronic diseases, and (get this!) tend to be thinner than those who don’t.

It always amazes me how much what we eat (or don’t eat) can affect our health. How cool is it to know that you can increase your chances of a healthier (and possibly prolonged) life by eating delicious food?

This pasta recipe is packed with superfoods. First there is quinoa, thanks to the pasta itself. Quinoa is loaded with fiber, has more gluten free protein than any other grain and also has a bunch of iron and potassium. Among other things, it helps aid digestion and fights signs of aging. Ancient Harvest produces a whole line of quinoa pastas – for this recipe I chose their Garden Pagodas as the tight spirals really hold on to the superfood pesto but you can use any shape you like.

The pesto in this recipe is also packed with superfoods, including kale. While still being studied, it looks as if kale produces phytonutrients that trigger the liver to produce enzymes that neutralize potentially cancer-causing substances. It is filled with antioxidants, a truckload of vitamins and minerals, and may actually prevent premature aging of the skin.

Other superfoods in this recipe include garlic, pistachios, pomegranate seeds, and flax oil.

And yes, it is important for what you eat to be good for your body but how it tastes is also important. Let me tell you – this superfood pasta dish is super delicious! Even people who swear they don’t like kale love it! Oh, and this pesto is dairy free thanks to the use of nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan.

So serve up some superfood pasta and have yourself a super day!

Click here to see my cooking demonstration of this recipe on Daytime TV!

Gluten Free Superfood Pesto Pasta

5 from 1 vote
Gluten Free Superfood Pesto Pasta Recipe
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Gluten Free Superfood Pasta Recipe

Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time25 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 513kcal
Author: Gluten Free & More

Ingredients

  • Kosher or fine sea salt
  • 8 ounces Ancient Harvest quinoa pasta – any shape you like
  • 1/3 cup pistachios shelled
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 lemon zested and juiced
  • 3 cups fresh kale leaves heaping
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • ¼ cup flax seed oil
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup pomegranate seeds

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve about 2 cups of the starchy cooking water and drain the pasta. Return to the hot pot.
  • While the pasta is cooking, make the pesto. Place the pistachios and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until the pistachios are finely chopped. Add the lemon zest and juice, kale, and nutritional yeast. Process until everything is finely chopped. Add the flax seed and olive oils and pepper and pulse a few times to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. Taste and add salt if desired.
  • Add the pesto to the pasta with enough of the starchy cooking water to coat the pasta (add the water a little at a time until desired consistency is achieved).
  • Serve the pasta topped with pomegranate seeds.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Gluten Free Superfood Pasta Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 513 Calories from Fat 243
% Daily Value*
Fat 27g42%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Sodium 20mg1%
Potassium 501mg14%
Carbohydrates 30g10%
Fiber 19g76%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 5065IU101%
Vitamin C 78mg95%
Calcium 97mg10%
Iron 3.3mg18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owner’s. This blog accepts free manufacturers samples and forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. Affiliate links may be included in this post.

Disclaimer: All nutrition facts on Gluten Free & More are meant only as a guide and may differ depending on product brands used or ingredient substitutions. Some errors may occur, so you are encouraged to confirm the recipe’s ingredient and nutrition suitability for your own diet.
Have you tried this recipe? Give it a star rating and let us know your thoughts in the Ratings & Reviews section below.
Tags: Garlic Gluten-Free Gluten-Free Recipes Kale Pasta Pesto Pistachios Quinoa
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