I’m not typically one to go on about missing something from my pre-celiac days, but spaghetti really does count as a true comfort food. In fact, our family has a weekly spaghetti night, it’s something we all look forward to week after week and is a tradition that I’m sure will last for many years to come. It’s a great time to sit around the table and talk and just be a family — it would be nice if this happened every night. Maybe it’s time to come up with a few more traditions that’ll keep everyone attracted to the dining room table.
There are quite a few store bought gluten-free pastas that range greatly in flavor, texture, and price. But as you’ve probably been getting the vibe that I’m not too big on grains of any kind, these really aren’t a great option. Rice, corn, quinoa — you can keep them all, I’m not interested. The surprise ingredients in this Spaghetti with Red Wine Sauce from Bill and Hayley of The Food Lovers Kitchen is yellow squash and zucchini. I’ve posted a few recipes with zucchini pasta before, but this one is right up there with the best of them. With recipes like this, you can have your comfort food and actually turn it into a healthy dinner choice. This is one of those times that you’re non-gluten-free family members/guests will enjoy the meal as much as you do. If you’re worried about the red wine being a cheat (like Hayley mentions), there are a lot of other options for great sauce — I’m sure you have a family recipe or two that would work well.
One of my favorite smells is a pasta sauce simmering on the stove with red wine added to it. I have been wanting to make a red wine pasta sauce for a while now, but red wine is…”cheating”, so I’ve avoided it. I always tell myself that “cheat” ingredients are only for “cheating”, and not for real meals. That’s why you typically won’t see a nut flour or maple syrup in one of our “real food recipes”. I personally like to keep my real food meals as clean as possible, because I know even if it is grain free, that doesn’t mean I will feel good after eating it if it has an ingredient that I don’t consider to be an optimal food.
