HEALTHIER DAYS AHEAD

This Gluten-Free Summer Garden Pasta is the perfect combination of light yet filling. With fresh vegetables, herbs, and good quality olive oil - a few ingredients most of us already have in our kitchen - will transport you to the Italian Coast. Not only is it easy to whip up, but it will satisfy your pasta craving and be great for your gut health too.

I was so inspired by this dish when a new Sicilian bottega opened on the corner from my apartment. Walking into the little shop reminded me of my study abroad program in Florence. The flavors of Italy were everywhere! And the best part? You can order these same ingredients, too.

The Sicilian family who owns the bottega also owns Asaro Farm, which are widely known for their high-quality olive oil. For over 100 years, the Asaro family has been making olive oil in the valley of Belice are Nocellara del Belice olives. I loved learning about their culture and rich family tradition of this unique craft. I will never second-guess buying olive oil from them again!

Now being gluten-free and dairy-free for my IBS, I took this as an opportunity to be creative in my recipes, trying new flavors and a spin on some of my most loved meals. Like pasta!

This Summer Garden Recipe was the perfect experiment for my new lifestyle! Instead of being dairy based with butter and cheese (like most pastas are) this dish is oil based. That's why I love using the best quality olive oil I could get my hands on.

Olive oil is rich in polyphenols, a compound found in plants that offer unmatched antioxidants. Antioxidants are fundamental when it comes to fighting off disease and inflammation. It's proven that eating a diet rich in polyphenols, like the Mediterranean diet, can increase your longevity.

Gluten-free pasta is easier on my gut to digest. Since I am also intolerant to corn, I try to find gluten-free alternatives that are rice or cassava based. I actually found that cassava, a nutty-flavored root, is the best on my digestion. I love using spaghetti for this recipe, but you can use any shape of gluten-free pasta you want!

Cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic and lemon give this recipe a fresh flavor. They also contain antioxidants that can reduce inflammation. Garlic and basil also have antimicrobial properties that can maintain a healthy gut microbiome.

Red pepper flakes and capers give this pasta dish a little edge. I love the saltiness the capers bring and the spicy kick from the red pepper flakes. You can use more or less red pepper flakes depending on your spice intolerance.

This recipe is super easy and can be whipped up in about 15 minutes! The sauce is a combination of the olive oil, vegetables, and herbs and I highly recommend making the sauce in advance, letting it marinate for at least 1 hour. For this recipe, I let it sit for an hour while I baked, and it was perfect!

The longer the ingredients can sit together, the stronger and more potent the flavor will be! You can make the sauce the night before, cover it, and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Or, my favorite thing, double the sauce and let it sit in your fridge all week so you can use on different pastas, salads, cooked protein like chicken and more! It's super versatile with other dishes, too.

Hope you enjoy this recipe, and comment below how you incorporate the Summer Garden Pasta into your recipe rotation!