Grain-Free Cheeseburger Pasta Bake (SCD-Friendly)

To the healthier high protein pasta recipe of the summer, hello & where have you been my whole life?! This grain-free pasta bake is beyond easy to make, packed with veggies, and topped with melty aged cheddar…

A Healthy Grain-Free Pasta Dish

The grain-free pasta niche has seemingly exploded over the past couple of years. Honestly, I’m here for it! Some of my favorites include:

• Red lentil pasta (SCD)
• Black bean pasta (SCD)
• Green lentil pasta (SCD)
• Chickpea pasta (non-SCD)

These bean and legume based pastas are absolutely delicious. Even though they each have a slightly different flavor in comparison to traditional wheat-based pasta, it’s very mild and easily covered up by seasonings and other ingredients! I would even argue that the texture of these grain-free pastas hold up better to sauces and casseroles. Most of them are a little bit firmer in texture naturally due to the high fiber content!

For this dish I used a blend of green lentil pasta and chickpea pasta, but any pasta you have on hand will work!

Legumes, Beans, & Longevity

I listen to a podcast on every single one of my morning runs or workouts. My favorite podcasts are either hosted by functional doctors or past Bachelorette contestants (lol).

As I was running my neighborhood loop about a week ago, I listened to a podcast that interviewed Dan Buettner. Buettner was the man who coined the term “blue zones”- referring to 5 distinct places in the world where people are healthiest and live the longest. This website has a lot more information on it!

One of the key similarities among these 5 areas includes the high consumption of legumes and beans. Although it is still not totally known why, the health benefits of beans and legumes must go beyond the obvious.

Beans and legumes (aka “pulses”) are all very high in protein, fiber, and antioxidants. So I’m PUMPED that our modern food system has caught on to this to make pulses even more fun & easier to eat… as a pasta!

Why Venison? & Other Alternatives

Venison has recently become my favorite red meat to incorporate into my diet. Venison is not a farm raised meat in the United States, so it’s pretty well assured that its full of essential nutrients! You are what you eat, and so are animals. I always go by this rule of thumb when it comes to purchasing meat. On traditional farms, animals are fed with whatever is cheap and convenient- not necessarily what they should be eating.

During my time as a food science student, I’ve had the opportunity to learn a lot of the “behind the scenes” in the industry. Unfortunately, feeding animals leftover candy, canola byproducts, and cheap grains is very typical. For consumers of factory-farmed meat, this usually means eating meat with a lower omega-3 content, amino acid profile, and essential minerals.

The only slightly negative side of cooking with venison is that its harder to come by. Most grocery stores don’t sell it, so I mostly rely on my relatives hunting in the fall/winter to get it. Some of my favorite venison alternatives are elk, bison, and grass-fed beef.

What You’ll Need:

How to Make Cheeseburger Pasta

Step 1: Prepare all of the ingredients: cook the grain-free pasta & ground venison, slice the sweet peppers and red onion, and tomatoes.

Step 2: Toss the pasta in extra virgin olive oil and transfer into an oven-safe casserole dish.

Step 3: Toss in the sautéed veggies, salt, pepper, and dried parsley. Top with sliced tomato.

Step 4: Transfer the cooked ground venison to the top of the pasta in the casserole dish. Top the meat layer with aged sharp cheddar and grated parmesan cheese.

Step 5: Broil on low for 5 minutes.

Optional: garnish with a dash of dried parsley, avocado, and sliced red onion. Serve warm!

More of My Favorite SCD Dinners

• SCD Spaghetti Squash Tuna Casserole (Single Serve)
• SCD Green Lentil Mac & Cheese Bake
• SCD Pizza Meatballs
• SCD Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
• SCD Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Print