Gluten Free Pasta Primavera |Cooking With Amanda

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Van's Foods. The contributor and Food Fanatic were compensated for recipe development and promotion. All opinions are the contributor's own.

I should preface this post by saying that we're not a strictly gluten-free family. None of us has the dietary requirement to do so all the time, but we're kitchen experimentalists in this house. We like trying new stuff for the sake of trying new stuff.

Van's Foods' new gluten free pastas are made with a combination of brown rice flour and either red lentil flour or white rice flour, depending on the sauce you pick up. There's a choice between red sauce, creamy herb and garlic, or ultimate cheddar. Since someone in this house isn't a fan of cheesy or creamy sauces (it's not me), I immediately gravitated towards the red sauce, since I knew it's something the whole family would eat.

However, my kid is a tried and true carnivore. If there's not meat on the plate, he didn't eat. And his daddy pretty much feels the same way. So I knew I had to jooj our Rotini & Red Sauce with some extra protein and veg to round out the whole meal.

I'm must warn you that we're huge fans of garlic. This sautéed chicken is all about the garlic. I actually left any seasoning beyond salt and pepper off the vegetables because the chicken more than makes up for it. I was even a little worried this chicken would overpower the red sauce provided by Van's.

Let me just say, I was super happy and pleasantly surprised to find the red sauce provided in the box to be incredibly robust and bright. The tomatoes shine, with just the right hint of Italian spices and garlic throughout. Hooray for a weeknight shortcut that tastes fantastic!

Fresh vegetables and chicken can really take a quick boxed meal and make it something special for your family, without tons of extra work. And let's face it - if I'm honest (and I always try to be) - I'd rather spend extra time and energy on dessert. Like caramel apple pie or chewy caramel bars. (Can you tell I have a thing for caramel?)

This is a easy dinner that's nice enough for Sunday, but quick enough for Monday. Gotta love that!

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Gluten Free Pasta Primavera Recipe

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Ingredients

2 boxes van's gluten free rotini & red sauce
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, preferably organic
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 cups water

For Seasoning and Cooking the Chicken:

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste if you like heat
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

For Sautéing:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 large zucchini squash, quartered and diced
1 large yellow squash, quartered and diced
4 ounces baby portabello mushrooms, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

To Brine the Chicken:

Place two boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a gallon-sized ziptop bag. Add two tablespoons kosher salt and two cups cold water. Push any air out of the bag and zip it. Shake well to combine the salt and water. Make sure the chicken breasts are fully immersed in water, then place in the fridge for at least two hours. Overnight is fine.

For the Spice Blend:

In a small bowl, combine kosher salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried basil, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes. Use a spoon to mix well.

For the Pasta Primavera:

Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with a paper towel.
Chop into 1" pieces and place in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat.
Add spice mix to chicken and toss to coat evenly. Set aside.
Wash and dice zucchini, yellow squash and Cremini mushrooms.
Add the diced ingredients to a separate medium mixing bowl with one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, salt (preferably kosher) and freshly ground black pepper. Toss to evenly coat.
Set water to boil in a saucepan per the Van's Rotini & Red Sauce box directions.
After the water is on the heat, heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. When the skillet itself is hot, add olive oil. The oil is ready when it slides across the tilted pan easily.
Add chicken to skillet, stirring immediately. Allow the chicken to brown on all sides, then add the vegetables.
Allow chicken and vegetables to cook together while the water boils and pasta cooks. When the water is boiling, add pasta to it per the Van's box directions. Make sure to stir the chicken and vegetables often to avoid them sticking to the pan. Turn the heat to low if necessary.
When the pasta is cooked to al dente per box instructions, drain and rinse it, then set aside. Return the same pan to the heat, and heat the red sauce provided with the pasta, per the box instructions.
When the sauce is heated, add the pasta back to the pot and toss to coat.
Dish up pasta onto four plates and cover with chicken-vegetable mixture. Alternatively, add the pasta directly to the chicken and vegetables. Mix well with tongs or a spatula, then dish up.
Eat immediately - gluten free pasta doesn't keep well after being cooked.

Notes

This recipe is sponsored by Van's Foods. The contributor and Food Fanatic were compensated for recipe development and promotion. All opinions are the contributor's own.