Gluten Free Italian Sausage and Veggi Pasta

Many people are going gluten free for various health reasons.  My younger daughter has recently been diagnosed with both Osgood Schlatter disease and scoliosis.  She loves sports and plays soccer and volleyball.  To watch her play in pain has been a heartbreaking experience for me.  I did some research and one website said some of this could be caused by food allergies.  I don’t like to be extreme, so I just decided to eliminate some of the wheat from her diet in the hope that it might help even a little.

I made this for her before soccer practice which starts at 6:45 p.m.  This sounds like a good time to have a practice, but it can be stressful to cook and get out of the house in such a short window of time.   This pasta was easy and allowed me to make a few phone calls while I stood in front of the stove.  It was also convenient to have tucked away in the fridge for when she got home at 9:00 p.m. after the practice and was hungry again!

1 box gluten free pasta (this was made with rice)

1 package of mild Italian Sausage

2 cloves of garlic diced

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 red bell pepper cubed

1/2 cup diced white mushrooms

1 cup frozen peas

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

1/2 Parmesan cheese grated

Fresh basil (optional)

Put pasta water onto boil and heat large skillet until hot.  Brown sausage (about 5 minutes).  Add pasta to boiling water and follow package instructions.   Add garlic and brown (do not allow to burn) with sausage.  Add wine and scrape bottom of pan as needed and allow to reduce.  Add red pepper and mushrooms and cook for 2-5 min. until soft.  Add frozen peas.  They will defrost in the warm food.  Strain pasta and add to skillet.  Fold pasta into sausage mixture while keeping stove at a consistent medium heat.  Add salt and pepper per taste and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Toss well.  Serve with more cheese if you please and a sprig of fresh basil.