We are all expecting many things from March. I know that I expect a little warmer weather, maybe some mud season roads, the start of sugaring season, and maybe a chance to be able to sit outside with friends.
I know that the COVID-19 rules will still be in place (please mask up) and more folks will be getting vaccinated – Hooray! Spring will arrive and we can reflect on the past winter and see hope for the future.
We all might want to spend a little less time in the kitchen, lose some of those pounds we put on in past months, and make meals easier to prepare for our family.
I found a great product that lets us do just this in a very delicious way.
Since I am non-gluten and always looking for new foods that cater to my diet, I was delighted to find ‘hearts of palm pasta’.
This "pasta" variation is derived from hearts of palm and made in Ecuador. Hearts of palm are made from the core of palm trees. It is the sole ingredient in this ‘pasta’. It is gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, sugar-free, extremely low carb, very low calorie, good for keto and paleo diets, and harvested sustainably. I use the Natural Heaven brand, but there are many other brands you can find on the internet.
It is a very low-carb substitute for regular wheat pasta.
I am giving you recipes for ‘Pasta’ Primavera to usher in the Spring, a very simple ‘pasta’ with butter marinara, and a great ‘pasta’ salad. Wait until you see how fast and easy it is to put a low-calorie and delicious meal on the table. You are going to love this product.
Tomato and Butter Marinara with ‘Hearts of Palm Pasta’
This is a quick sauce for almost anything you are making. It is simultaneously light and rich and very flavorful without the addition of anything but butter in the sauce. It makes a great topping for ‘hearts of palm pasta’ as well as a light sauce for many other vegetables. At this time of year, I use canned tomatoes (whole peeled tomatoes in their own juice) but this is a great sauce with peeled fresh tomatoes in the summer.
- 1-2 packages hearts of palm pasta (2 to 3 servings per package)
- 8 cups canned whole tomatoes in their own juice
- 3 to 6 fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 4-5 whole fresh garlic cloves - peeled
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 stick butter
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Put the canned whole tomatoes with their juice in a saucepan. Break up the whole tomatoes into medium-sized pieces. This will be a watery mix. Put on medium heat and add the garlic cloves, basil leaves, parsley, and sugar. Leave this on the stove at medium to low heat for about an hour until everything is soft. Break up the garlic cloves into the sauce when they are cooked. Add the butter and let cook until it is all melted into the sauce. The butter will thicken the sauce. When it looks like it has absorbed all the butter it can (you may not need all the butter or you may need a little more), heat it on low, stirring constantly for a minute or two. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can make the sauce a day or two ahead of time
Put about two cups of the sauce in a saucepan and heat it to medium-high. Put in one or two packages of the ‘hearts of palm pasta’ (two to three servings each package) and let it warm in the sauce a minute or two. Remember you only need to warm the ‘pasta’ – it is already cooked.
Put the ‘pasta’ in a flat bowl and pour extra sauce on it for service. Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top if desired and serve.
If you want a ‘no work’ quick dish - use your favorite jarred tomato sauce, add a little butter to it and warm the ‘pasta’ in this sauce. In about 15 minutes you have yourself a ‘pasta’ course for your dinner.
‘Hearts of Palm Pasta’ Primavera
You can savor the real flavors of Spring when you make this ‘hearts of palm pasta’. You can substitute or add to the list of vegetables suggested here. You don’t have to use them all to make a good Primavera. They all have an earthy springtime flavor. If you want a heartier meal, this dish is good with the addition of shrimp or sausage.
- 2 packages of ‘hearts of palm pasta’ – angel hair if possible
- Bunch of asparagus (tough ends clipped off)
- 2 bunches of scallions – chopped
- 1 large onion - chopped
- 1 leek chopped
- 2 heads of garlic chopped
- ½ cup snow peas
- 1 cup peas - frozen or fresh
- 2 small bok choy heads chopped
- ¼ cup fresh chives chopped
- ½ cup fresh basil chopped
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 stick butter
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Have all your vegetables prepped and ready to use. It makes cooking them easier. Remember you can pick and choose what veggies you want.
Put the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large sauté pan. Brown the leek, onion, and garlic until soft. Slice the asparagus heads on the bias and add to this mix. Sauté until the asparagus is softened. Add snow peas, whole peas, bok choy, fresh chives, and basil. Saute until these veggies are just cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and keep warm.
In a saucepan combine the rest of the butter, one cup of the vegetable broth, heavy cream, scallions, and nutmeg. Cook this mix until it reduces a bit. Add it to the cooked vegetables making sure they are hot and ready for service. Put the last cup of vegetable broth in a pot and heat it. Put the two packs of ‘pasta’ in the broth and warm it to your taste – it will only take a minute or two. Put the ‘pasta’ in a low bowl for service and put the vegetables over it.
‘Hearts of Palm Pasta’ Salad
A simple ‘pasta’ salad for your table. You will not be able to believe this is suitable for gluten-free, paleo, very low carb, and keto diets.
- 1 package Natural Heaven ‘hearts of palm angel hair pasta’
- 1cup vegetable broth
- 1 small cucumber – julienned
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes – halved
- 5 fresh basil leaves - chopped
- 2 ripe avocados peeled and diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic – chopped fine
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the vegetable broth and warm the ‘pasta’ in it for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
Make the dressing – combine the olive oil, lemon juice garlic, salt, and pepper to taste and the Dijon mustard.
In a large bowl combine the cooled ‘pasta’, the cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, and fresh basil. Toss this salad with the dressing.
March 02, 2021 at 08:41PM
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'Hearts of Palm Pasta' Primavera | Columns | northstarmonthly.com - The North Star Monthly
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