Gluten Free Lemon Thyme Pasta
May 30, 2017
It's been a few months since I've shared a recipe, so I thought it was time for another family favorite. I first came across this recipe for Lemon Thyme Pasta way back in 1998. I think a friend passed it along...it's from Country Home magazine, which is no longer published. It was a recipe I made regularly when my husband and I were first married, and I often made it for friends as well. Because all the ingredients are gluten free, with the exception of the pasta, it was easy to adapt once our son's Celiac diagnosis necessitated a gluten free diet.
Last night, I made it with RP's Pasta gluten free fettuccine (I mixed one package of the regular variety with one package of the spinach). RP's is a favorite of ours, and because it's fresh pasta (found in the refrigerated section -- at stores listed on their website), it cooks up in only about 3 minutes. However, you can use any gluten free pasta. Our other favorite is Jovial Foods gluten free capellini (or other shapes). Jovial is a line of brown rice-based pastas made in Italy. Their pastas are extremely low in levels of arsenic, which, as you may know, can be found in high levels in rice, depending on where it's grown. Both RP's Pasta and Jovial Foods pasta taste just like regular (gluten) pasta when cooked just right (al dente). I always test the pasta a few minutes before the suggested cook time, as gluten free pasta directions sometimes end up resulting in overcooked, mushy pasta.
This Lemon Thyme Pasta recipe is pretty quick and easy to make -- maybe taking about 20 minutes of prep time -- and is great as either a side dish, as I served it last night (I added broccoli, too) or as a main course with shrimp or sliced chicken on top.
Ingredients:
1 16-ounce package linguine, capellini, spaghetti, or fettuccine
2 Tbsp. finely shredded lemon peel (set aside)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard (make sure it's GF)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh lemon thyme or thyme
3 cloves garlic, minced
Lemon slices, slivered green onions, and more snipped fresh thyme as garnishes
Directions:
Cook gluten free pasta, testing a couple minutes before directions on package specify (you want an al dente texture...not mushy). Meanwhile, have the lemon sauce prepared so that it's ready when the pasta is done.
For the sauce, whisk together the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil, pouring over lemon juice mixture in a thin steady stream. Stir in green onions, lemon peel, 1 tablespoon lemon thyme, and garlic.
Pour sauce over pasta and toss until well coated. Serve warm or at room temperature. (If prepared and chilled ahead, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.) Garnish with lemon slices and additional slivered green onions and snipped thyme.
Makes 6 generous side dish servings or 3-4 main dish servings.