Spaghetti with Roasted Tomato and Almond Pesto - CEiMB

This week, at Craving Ellie in My Belly, Ellie selected the recipe of the week.  This is exciting for all of us.  In the end, I almost did not make it because of my schedule and I was disappointed and then tonight, I realized, I could fit it in.  I am glad, I did.  Ellie's recipes are generally well accepted in our home and this one also was.

I was sure, my husband, was not going to like this since he is not a great fan of roasted tomatoes but mixed with the Parmesan, basil and almonds, it turned into something much better and he even commented of the fine flavor of the dish.  Ellie has another success.

This called for wheat spaghetti and I, of course, used brown rice pasta, to accommodate the needs of my husband.  I don't know, anymore, if food tastes better if it has gluten.  Of course, I do eat at outside events but I am not seeing a difference in the food.  I also did not use the garlic but used garlic rice vinegar in place of the wine vinegar.

My hubby, the darling he is, says, why would anyone want to eat out with food like ours.  The recipe below is as Ellie wrote it, except for the title where I subbed the gluten-free for wheat.

We had guacamole with this.

Gluten-Free Spaghetti with Roasted Tomato and Almond Pesto

Ingredients:

Olive oil cooking spray
1 1/3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and quartered (about 6 medium) or 1 15 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup blanched sliced almonds
1 medium clove of garlic
1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 pound Whole Grain Spaghetti (note: I like Barilla)

If using fresh tomatoes, Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking tray with cooking spray. Place the tomatoes on the tray and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until they are soft and slightly charred. When the tomatoes are nearly done, bring a large pot of water to a boil.

In a medium dry skillet, toast the almonds over a medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until they are golden and fragrant, 3-4 minutes.

Transfer the nuts to a food processor, add the garlic and process until they are finely ground. Add the roasted or canned tomatoes, basil, vinegar and pepper flakes to the processor. As the processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream. Add the Parmesan cheese and ¼ teaspoon salt and pulse to combine.

Add the pasta to the water and cook according to the directions on the package. Drain and return the pasta to the pasta pot or to a serving bowl. Add the sauce and toss to combine. Season with additional salt to taste. Serve garnished with whole basil leaves.

Makes 6 servings
Serving size: 1 ¼ cups

Prep time: 12 minutes
Cooking time: 36 minutes

Oh, the basil was from my garden.  I love that I can do this.

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