Back To School Pasta Dinner #glutenfree

Back To School Pasta Dinner #glutenfree #familyfriendly #chicken #peas #carrots

Back To School Pasta Dinner for the Whole Family
Chicken Breast, Peas, Carrots
Gluten-Free Chickpea Fusilli
Light Cheesy Creamy Sauce

This is an awesome recipe the whole family will love. It’s great for the start of a new school year with fall colors and a rich cool weather vibe. A satisfying but lighter style cheesy-creamy sauce made with low-fat milk coats organic protein-packed gluten-free chickpea fusilli pasta. It’s full of hearty-sized pieces of browned chicken breast and plenty of vegetables – peas and carrots – two of the most popular with kids.

The sauce is flavorful, but I’ve gone easy on the shallot, garlic, and nutmeg – so the flavors are there in the background but they are not a turn-off for the little ones.

And there are no icky green bits in the dish, I garnish with a large sprig of tarragon or parsley, that’s easy to remove! Serve finely chopped herbs on the side for adults to sprinkle on their dinner.

Back To School Pasta Dinner Recipe

Back To School Pasta Dinner #glutenfree #familyfriendly #chicken #peas #carrots

Back To School Chickpea Fusilli with Chicken, Peas, and Carrots

Serves 4

Chicken

  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast – cut into large bites
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until chicken is cooked through and starting to brown. Keep warm.

Light Cheesy Creamy Sauce

  • 2 1/2 t. olive oil
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 T. gluten-free flour
  • 2 c. low-fat milk
  • 1/4 t. ground nutmeg
  • 5 T. grated parmesan
  • salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallot and cook until soft, about three minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook one more minute. Blend in the flour with a rubber spatula, cook about 45 seconds. Add milk, whisk and bring to a simmer. Whisk occasionally while sauce thickens to coat the back of a spoon. Add nutmeg. Whisk in parmesan one tablespoon at a time as cheese melts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Pasta

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Rinse and drain.

Carrots and Peas

  • 2 medium carrots, julienne cut
  • 1 1/2 c. frozen peas

Cook carrots in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain and keep warm.

Cook peas according to package instructions.

Composition

  • parsley and tarragon

Toss pasta with sauce. Fold in the chicken, peas, and carrots then serve. Adults can sprinkle their portion with fresh herbs.

Have a great school year!

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