Knowledge is power.

The more you know about living a gluten free lifestyle, the better. With so much misinformation surrounding foods and products that contain gluten, your best bet is to go to the authority in the field and check out the Canadian Celiac Association website.

The Canadian Celiac Association has several comprehensive lists of the foods that people living with celiac disease need to avoid, question, or can include their diets.

Here is their list of foods to avoid:

Foods to Avoid: Gluten Containing Foods and Ingredients
Atta (chapatti flour) Barley (flakes, flour, pearl) Beer, ale, lager Breading and bread stuffing Brewers yeast Bulgur Communion wafers Couscous Croutons Dinkel (also known as spelt)* Durum* Einkorn* Emmer*	Farina Farro or Faro (also known as spelt)* Fu** Graham flour Hydrolyzed wheat protein Kamut* Malt, malt extract, malt syrup and malt flavouring Malt vinegar Malted milk Matzoh, matzoh meal Modified wheat starch	Oatmeal, oat bran, oat flour and whole oats*** Pastas Rye bread and flour Seitan **** Semolina Spelt (also known as farro or faro, dinkel)* Triticale Wheat bran Wheat flour Wheat germ Wheat starch

 

Hot House Tomato and Pepper Pasta with Tuna

Next time company is coming over and one of your guests is following a gluten free lifestyle serve this pasta dish to everyone.

1 – 340 g (12 oz) gluten free pasta, I use Barilla’s penne

2 cloves garlic, minced and set aside

¼ cup (60 mL) 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil, divided

3 shallots, thinly sliced

1 – 500 mL container cherry tomatoes, washed and cut into halves

½ yellow hot house pepper, sliced thinly

½ orange hot house pepper, slice thinly

2 tbsp (30 mL) capers, rinsed and drained

1- 170 g tin of Skipjack chunk light tuna packed in water, drained, broken up with a fork

4 large fresh basil leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a large pot of water over high heat on to boil.
2. Have all of your ingredients, prepped and ready to go, cooking a pasta dish the Italian way is all about fresh delicious seasonal ingredients and timing.
3. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Put timer on for 8 minutes. (the pasta will cook in the boiling water and finish cooking in the vegetable mixture)
4. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat; add 1 tbsp (15 mL) oil and shallots, sauté for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and soft.
5. Add tomatoes and peppers continue sautéing until the tomatoes are beginning to get soft about 3-4 minutes.
6. Add capers and garlic. If the vegetables look dry add ¼- ½ cup (60-125 mL) of the hot pasta cooking water. Stir into the vegetables.
7. When the pasta has boiled for 8-9 minutes, reserve another ¼- ½ cup (60-125 mL) of the hot pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta well and add to the vegetables. Toss in well. If that pasta looks dry add more of the reserved pasta water. Add tuna and toss gently. Taste for doneness, if the pasta is al dente remove from heat, drizzle with the rest of the oil. If the pasta is not al dente cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, then drizzle with remaining oil. Tear the basil into small pieces and sprinkle on top. Toss gently and serve.

Makes 9 cups (2.2 L)

One serving = 1 ½ cups (375 mL)