After getting back from a long weekend away for Thanksgiving and my sister-in-law’s wedding (which was SO fun!), we hadn’t thought much about what we’d be eating for dinner this week.
So, when I got home from work tonight, I checked the pantry and fridge and used a few things we had on hand to whip up this recipe. That’s the value of having a well stocked pantry – even when you have no time and no plans, you can create a delicious dish pretty quickly without making a trip to the store.
This meal came together in about 20 minutes and was filling, delicious and nourishing (the trifecta of food awesomeness!). It showcases GBOMBS – some of the most anti-inflammatory, disease-fighting, immune-boosting, health-promoting foods we can eat!
If you’re not eating pasta because of the gluten or refined flours, keep reading! I have a solution for you 🙂
Meet, Tolerant Foods pasta.
I first tried their pasta last fall at the Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore. At the time, the only pasta I ate was brown rice pasta (ingredients = brown rice + water), but I was curious to try Tolerant’s pasta because it was made from one ingredient.
Beans.
Or, in this case, lentils.
We had tried the black bean variety and the red lentil version, but this year I was introduced to the latest and greatest addition – green lentil pasta.
Here’s why this pasta is so awesome.
Unlike regular highly processed pasta that’s usually made from enriched flours that can send our blood sugar (and energy levels and weight) on a roller coaster, Tolerant’s pasta is PACKED with satiating protein and fill-you-up fiber.
Just over 1/3 of a box of the green lentil pasta has a whopping 21 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber. It’s also full of energizing B-vitamins, iron and zinc. It’s also made with non-GMO, organic ingredients.
What’s not to like??
The pasta cooks up in 8 minutes, making it a great option for a quick dinner. And because of its pale green color, it looks more like pasta than the red lentil or black bean pasta, so it would be an easier sell with kiddos or bean-based pasta skeptics.
It’s sold at a higher price point than a box of Barilla, but I focus more on nutrients/dollar than calories/dollar, so it’s worth it to me.
MOMs and Whole Foods sell Tolerant pasta (sometimes on sale!), but you can also buy their stuff online at Vitacost or Amazon. Check out this link to use the store locator to find where Tolerant sells their products near you.
Then, make this recipe 🙂 (And don’t mind the less than stellar pics taken from my iPhone without daylight!)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil
- 1 8-ounce box Tolerant pasta (or other gluten-free or bean-based pasta)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, no salt added, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Coarse sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside 1/3 cup pasta water. Strain pasta and leave in strainer.
- Heat ghee or oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onions and saute 5-7 minutes or until they start to soften. Add ginger, garlic, and curry powder and saute another minute or so. Add pasta water and stir to loosen up anything stuck to the pan.
- Add chickpeas, coconut milk and pasta and reduce heat to medium. Stir to combine. Add spinach and toss until coated and slightly wilted. Add lime juice and stir to combine.
I added some sea salt throughout, probably about 1/2 teaspoon total. How do you know when you have enough? If your food tastes flat or bland, add a little salt at a time to increase the flavor. The acidity from the lime juice, fat from the coconut milk, and spice in the curry powder give this dish a lot of flavor, so just add salt to your liking 🙂