Spaghetti with Cauliflower, Carrots, Olives and Parsley

Congratulations. You survived the holidays! I hope it was happy, whether you were warmly wrapped in the bosom of family, or doing it your own way with your family of choice, it is now over. Did you make some resolutions?

If you make any moves toward healthy eating, I hope that you will consider adding more whole grains to your diet. It’s not hard, just switch out the white bread for whole, the sugary cereal for 100% whole grain. And no matter whether you can have gluten or not, you just have to try brown rice pasta.

You see, when you dump the white pasta and switch to a whole grain noodle instead, you are adding healthy fiber, minerals and protein to your plate. Wheat eaters can always go with a whole wheat pasta, but don’t pass over the brown rice spaghetti because it is gluten free.

Believe me, I wasn’t an easy sell on the brown rice pasta. When brown rice spaghetti first came on the scene, I thought, great, another gritty, fragile special diet pasta. I guess I have to try it and see if it works. And lo and behold, it did. Really well. I tried it out on my gluten free friends, I served it to non-GF diners, and it was a huge success. Somehow, Tinkyada and Lundberg, the two major brands, cracked the code for making a simple, one ingredient pasta from whole rice that cooked up to a wonderful texture and didn’t dissolve in a sauce. Amazing.

So when you think you are just too busy to make a whole grain, healthy meal, think again. Stock up on whole grain brown rice spaghetti, fettucine, and spirals, and put a pot of water on the stove to boil. Saute up your veggies for a quick pan sauce, and sprinkle the whole thing with chopped nuts.

It’s a New Year, enjoy your food. Whole grain pastas make it easy to enjoy old favorites while doing right by yourself.

Brown Rice Spaghetti with Green Olives, Cauliflower and Parsley

1/2 cup pitted green olive, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large carrot, julienned
3 cups cauliflower, large florets
2 tablespoons vegetable stock
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup parsley , chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound brown rice spaghetti
1/4 cup toasted pistachios

Put on a big pot of water to boil the pasta, and throw in a teaspoon of salt. In a large saute pan, heat the oilve oil and add the carrot and cauliflower. Cook over medium-high heat, turning the vegetables occasionally as they get browned. Add the vegetable stock and cover the pan for 2 minutes, just until the cauliflower is soft when pierced with a paring knife. Uncover and let cook until the stock is syrupy, don’t burn. Add the garlic and parsley and stir until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Stir in the salt

Cook the pasta, setting the timer two minutes before the time on the package. Keep testing until it is just al dente. Drain and rinse with hot water, then shake dry. Add to the pan and toss with the vegetables. Serve topped with chopped pistachios.