Description
One of my new favorite easy, healthy dinner for the summer! This grain-free pasta bake recipe is packed with protein, veggies, and melty cheese for the perfect SCD-legal dish.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups pasta of choice (I used a blend of chickpea pasta & green lentil pasta)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 lb. ground meat (I used venison, see notes for alternatives)
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 2 tbsp. red onion, finely diced
- 1 sweet yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 3 cups spinach, loosely packed
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
- 1 roma tomato, sliced
- 4 oz. aged sharp cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Cook the grain-free pasta according to the instructions, until al dente. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water. Toss with the olive oil and salt. Set aside.
- Cook the ground meat over medium heat in a nonstick pan. Season with sea salt, black pepper, minced garlic, and onion powder as it cooks. Stir frequently with a spatula. Transfer the cooked ground meat to a bowl and set aside.
- In the same pan used for the meat, add the olive oil, minced garlic, and diced red onion. Sauté over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, until fragrant. Add the sliced bell pepper and cook until slightly caramelized. Then add the spinach, salt, pepper, and parsley and cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Toss the cooked veggies with the cooked pasta and transfer to a 1.5 quart oven-safe casserole dish.
- Top the pasta mixture with a layer of sliced tomatoes.
- Top the tomatoes with the cooked ground meat.
- Top the ground meat layer with the cheddar & parmesan cheeses.
- Place the casserole dish in the oven to bake for 5 minutes. Then broil on low heat for another 5 minutes.
- Serve warm!
Notes
Ground venison alternatives: ground beef (I look for grass-fed/finished beef from local farms), ground elk, ground bison. Ground chicken/turkey would also work!
- Category: entrees
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the bake
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 0
- Fat: 30
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 48
Keywords: grain-free, healthy pasta, healthy dinner, scd, specific carbohydrate diet, gluten-free, chickpea pasta, high protein, easy dinners, gut health, cheeseburger pasta recipe