Don’t you think all the new pasta varieties in the store are amazing? Even if you are not on a gluten free diet, they are fun to cook with. The quality has dramatically improved from a few years ago. When I saw this corn rotelli (wheat free and gluten free), I had to try it. And, it was very, very good. It was especially good with a Southwestern inspired sauce.
You’ll need to bear with me now because I don’t have a recipe as such. It was one of those “clean out the fridge” dinners. I had just returned from a week on the East coast and was craving something spicy, flavorful, and semi healthy.
Gluten Free Corn Rotelli with Southwestern Sauce
- 1 12-oz package of corn rotelli or pasta of choice
- 2 tablespoons of olive or avocado oil
- 1- 1/2 cups of mixed cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 large red onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn, (I used frozen roast corn from Trader Joe’s)
- 4 scallions, chopped
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided in half
- 1 cup of spicy lemon salsa verde (or avocado sauce)
- Salt to taste
- chopped cilantro to serve
- crushed tortilla chips and diced avocado (optional for serving)
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil on high heat.
- While it is heating, add the olive or avocado oil to a large skillet and heat it on medium high.
- Add the chopped onion to the skillet and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and halved cherry tomatoes, turn the heat down to medium, and continue to saute until the tomatoes start to soften, maybe another 3 minutes.
- Add the drained black beans, scallions, cumin, and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Turn the heat down to low.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as per the directions on the package.
- When cooked to your liking, drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Do not rinse.
- Add the pasta to the vegetables in the skillet and cook all together. Add some pasta cooking water if it seems dry.
- Add the Spicy Lemon Salsa Verde (or avocado sauce) and toss together.
- Toss in 1/2 cup grated cheese and mix together
- Taste for salt
- Top with the additional 1/2 grated cheese and chopped cilantro.
- Garnish with optonal crushed tortilla chips and avocado.
This dish was even more delicious reheated a day later, the flavors had time meld.
I’m taking this to share on Fiesta Friday #58 at Angie’s blog, The Novice Gardener. It’s a perfect Friday evening dinner…serve some guacomole to start and add a salad. It might be even more popular than pizza!