So I haven’t eaten traditional pasta in years #glutenfreelife but the idea of a creamy, fettuccine alfredo brings back fond memories of my 90s childhood. I couldn’t get enough of the stuff! These days as a 30 something, gluten/dairy free, pescatarian nutritionist (among other things), I see pasta as a long lost love connection. We had something special but it’s over now and I’m ok with that.
While I don’t miss traditional pasta, sometimes I want the same mouth feel - creamy and decadent, but without the heavy and bloated feeling pasta often left me with. As an adult, I transitioned from a super processed, high carbohydrate diet to one that is more natural and vegetable centric. Even though I made significant changes to my diet voluntarily due to my becoming more health conscious; removing gluten, dairy and eggs from my diet came out of necessity more than anything. My adult GI system really started rejecting gluten (maybe it always had and I just ignored the symptoms) and my skin abhorred all things dairy. Given my lactose intolerance I already knew I shouldn’t be eating dairy but it was when I became more informed about dairy’s effect on acne prone skin that I said, “Nope!” Call it vanity or whatever but living with severe acne in your 20s and 30s is hard to say the least (I cried and prayed for the Lord to heal my skin). I’ve tried eggs on and off again over the years but I’ve come to realize that they too are a terrible trigger for my acne prone skin. Bye eggs!
People often ask me what I eat given my multiple dietary restrictions. Plenty! I say. Vegetables, fruits, seeds and fish are the pillars of my diet. I love finding new and interesting ways to use vegetables or my other pillars in place of traditional ingredients. Today I’m sharing a simple vegetable-based, pasta inspired dish. It’s not groundbreaking but it’s simple and taste amazing so I thought I’d share.
I didn’t cook my noodles this time but I have in the past. Try this dish both ways and see what you prefer. If you do want cooked noodles just steam or sauté them until desired tenderness is achieved. I also didn’t have any limes or lemons on hand but feel free to use either instead of the white wine vinegar. You just need a splash or squeeze.
Better Pasta (GF, Vegan, Raw)
1 medium zucchini
1 small to medium carrot (can replace with another zucchini if lower carbohydrates preferred)
1 ripe medium avocado
1-2 Tbsp white wine vinegar (a squeeze of lime or lemon can be used instead)
Salt and pepper to taste
While I don’t miss traditional pasta, sometimes I want the same mouth feel - creamy and decadent, but without the heavy and bloated feeling pasta often left me with. As an adult, I transitioned from a super processed, high carbohydrate diet to one that is more natural and vegetable centric. Even though I made significant changes to my diet voluntarily due to my becoming more health conscious; removing gluten, dairy and eggs from my diet came out of necessity more than anything. My adult GI system really started rejecting gluten (maybe it always had and I just ignored the symptoms) and my skin abhorred all things dairy. Given my lactose intolerance I already knew I shouldn’t be eating dairy but it was when I became more informed about dairy’s effect on acne prone skin that I said, “Nope!” Call it vanity or whatever but living with severe acne in your 20s and 30s is hard to say the least (I cried and prayed for the Lord to heal my skin). I’ve tried eggs on and off again over the years but I’ve come to realize that they too are a terrible trigger for my acne prone skin. Bye eggs!
People often ask me what I eat given my multiple dietary restrictions. Plenty! I say. Vegetables, fruits, seeds and fish are the pillars of my diet. I love finding new and interesting ways to use vegetables or my other pillars in place of traditional ingredients. Today I’m sharing a simple vegetable-based, pasta inspired dish. It’s not groundbreaking but it’s simple and taste amazing so I thought I’d share.
I didn’t cook my noodles this time but I have in the past. Try this dish both ways and see what you prefer. If you do want cooked noodles just steam or sauté them until desired tenderness is achieved. I also didn’t have any limes or lemons on hand but feel free to use either instead of the white wine vinegar. You just need a splash or squeeze.
Better Pasta (GF, Vegan, Raw)
1 medium zucchini
1 small to medium carrot (can replace with another zucchini if lower carbohydrates preferred)
1 ripe medium avocado
1-2 Tbsp white wine vinegar (a squeeze of lime or lemon can be used instead)
Salt and pepper to taste
- Use a vegetable peeler to make ribbons from the zucchini and carrot (if used). You can also use a spiralizer, mandoline or julienne peeler to create the vegetable noodles.
- Cut avocado and scoop out the flesh. Mash well with a fork. Add desired amount of salt and pepper.
- Toss noodles and avocado sauce together. Add in 1 tablespoon vinegar or preferred acidic juice. Toss. Add more salt, pepper and vinegar as desired.