Gluten Free Pasta + Andouille Sausage Salad

I cooked my first gluten free pasta dish last Sunday and it was delicious. It's so much fun experimenting with this stuff. There are a lot of things I do not eat right now so it can be challenging to create a dish that is tasty. I do miss cheese as I haven't had it in almost 5 months but thankfully, I love lite pasta salads. This one is a classic and I made it the same way I would if I were using wheat pasta....well except for the cheese and lots of hot pepper.

Recipe after the jump

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Gluten free rotini pasta

12 oz Sweet/spicy andouille sausage

1 cup sliced sweet peppers

1 cup shredded carrots

1/8 cups Scallions

2 tbsp powdered Bouillons

4 tbsp Olive oil

1 cup Brussel sprouts

1 chopped onions

Pepper to taste

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tbsp dried oregano

 

DIRECTIONS

Cook rotini pasta following directions on the package.

Drain and set aside.

Blanch brussel sprouts. Drain, slice in half.  Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in skillet. Add sausage and fry for 3 minutes.

Add peppers, onions, brussel sprouts and 1/2 teaspoon oregano to sausage.  Allow to cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add carrots and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Combine sausage and vegetables with pasta in skillet. Add bouillons, pepper, the remaining oregano.

Drizzle 2 tablespoon olive oil onto pasta and fry for 2 minutes. Add scallions and fresh basil. Stir to distribute evenly.

Serve hot. You can grate fresh parmesan cheese on top if it’s your preference.

I must add that I like the gluten free pasta. It was a brown rice pasta and I really didn't know what to expect. I've read reviews that rice pastas are usually soggy and break apart easily. This one held its shape pretty well and as for the texture, it wasn't gummy just a little softer than wheat pasta. The texture reminded me a bit of egg noodles.