Penne à la Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a vegetable dish originating in Nice, which is located in the South of France. It’s made with lots of vegetables, and, though it sometimes doesn’t look too appealing, there are some gorgeous updated versions of this traditional dish! I decided to updated this dish even more and give it a tasty twist using a yummy gluten-free pasta made from quinoa from Tresomega Organics For Life.

It’s no surprise that one of my favorite Disney films is Ratatouille, a fancy rat who sure knows how to cook! Chef Gusteau famously says throughout the film, “ANYONE CAN COOK,” and I happen to agree. He also says,

“Great cooking is not for the faint of heart. You must be imaginative, strong hearted. You must try things that may not work. And you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul. What I say is true. Anyone can cook.”

What stands out to me in that quote is “You must try things that may not work” because that is so much of what I do. Some things definitely work, while some things don’t and need to be scratched and tossed. Within that, lessons are learned about what can be done next time. It’s an amazing feeling to get something right, but it’s also a great feeling to get something wrong, learn from it and keep trying until you succeed.

Okay, back to this delightful dish. It can be really hard finding gluten-free pastas that actually taste good. Tresomega Organics For Life makes delicious gluten-free pastas made from organic quinoa, organic rice flour and organic amaranth.

We tried the penne, spaghetti and fusilli and totally loved the taste and texture. It was easy to cook, and it was great cold the next day or reheated - I LOVE reheated pasta leftovers!

This recipe has a lot of heart behind it. Not only does this dish taste so delicious, but I love that it has so many veggies incorporated. You get that yummy pasta and some tasty nutritious and delicious vegetables along with it. It's colorful, comforting and will surely bring a smile to your face. This Penne à la Ratatouille is great cold the next day, too.

Tresomega’s Organic Quinoa pastas are gluten-free and wheat-free, contain high amounts of calcium, magnesium, potassium and are a great source of protein. It's also corn-free, certified organic and doesn't come out mushy like other gluten-free pastas tend to do.

You can purchase this amazing quinoa pasta at:

Tresomega.com

SamsClub.com

Amazon.com

Walmart.com

You can learn more about Tresomega Nutrition, here:

Website: http://www.tresomega.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TresomegaFoods

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TresomegaFoods

As you can see by this photo... it's all smiles! Happy cooking to you and please remember: anyone can cook. Happy Holidays!

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INGREDIENTS

1 Box Tresomega Nutrition Gluten Free Quinoa Penne Pasta

2 zucchini

2 yellow squash

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

1 large yellow onion

3 cloves garlic*

fresh rosemary and thyme (about 3TB worth)

*You can use as much or as little garlic as you like. We prefer a lot of garlic, so we tend to use much more than 3 cloves. Use what is best for your taste buds.

Directions:

Boil your water and prepare the Tresomega Nutrition Gluten Free Quinoa Penne Pastaas directed on the box. Once complete, rinse under cold water to stop the pasta from cooking and set aside. (While the pasta is cooking, start prepping your veggies.)

Cut zucchini into rounds and then quarters, squash into rounds and thirds or quarters, bell peppers into small squares, cherry tomatoes into halves, chop the onion in to large (bite size) squares and mince garlic.

On a sheet pan, place all your zucchini and squash in one layer. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

On another sheet pan, mix your bell peppers and onions together on one half and your tomatoes on the other half face side up. (this photo was before I added the onions mixed in with the bell peppers).

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Toss and mix veggies (leave the tomatoes alone) and roast for another 15 minutes.

Once your veggies and pasta are done, sauté fresh garlic with about 1 TB extra virgin olive oil on medium heat in a large cast iron skillet.

After about 1-2 minutes, put the pasta in with the garlic and toss. Place the veggies into the pasta and garlic mixture and lightly toss so that it’s all combined.

Lastly, add in fresh rosemary and thyme, and salt and pepper to you liking. Serve hot or you could even serve cold the next day.