Now that we have established the why behind cooking, let’s get into the how. I’m going to share how to make my newest recipe, pizza-inspired pasta. I came up with it last weekend when I wanted to enjoy the flavors of pizza with the texture and ease of pasta. As a bonus, it is both nut-free and oil-free, offering you a lighter meal choice amid the more indulgent delights of the holiday season. 

Ingredients:

Pasta:

• Shells: I use Tolerant rotini or Chickapea shells

• 8 cups water (for boiling) + ¼ cup water (at the end)
• ½ tbsp celtic sea salt (or any other salt)

Sauce:

• 2 ¼ cups of strained tomatoes 
• Paprika (to taste)
• Chipotle pepper (to taste)
• Smoked paprika (to taste)
• Dried oregano (to taste)
• Dried basil (to taste)
• Dried thyme (¼ tsp)
• Salt (to taste)
• Black Pepper (to taste)
• ½ tbsp of coconut sugar

Vegetables:

• 1 onion
• 1 serrano pepper (I only used ½)
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 2-3 red bell peppers
• 1 cup of frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 cup of broccoli florets
• Avocado (optional, for topping)

Instructions:

• Take the frozen pineapple chunks out of the freezer.
• Boil and strain your pasta according to the instructions on the box. If you have it, add some celtic sea salt to the boiling water for the fluffiest pasta. After that, rinse your pasta with room temperature filtered water and cover with a lid.
• While your pasta is cooking, you can prepare the sauce. Mix the tomato sauce with the coconut sugar and all the spices. Add the spices to taste. I generally add around ½ tbsp each of the chili powders and 1 tbsp of dried basil. Make sure to only add ¼ tsp of thyme and only up to ¾ tsp of oregano.
• Finely chop an onion, mince 3-4 garlic cloves, roughly chop the bell peppers, and thinly slice half of the serrano pepper.
• Heat up a large pot on medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and chili slices once the pan is hot and start sauteing. Add a tablespoon of water at a time as needed to deglaze the pan and prevent it from burning.
• Once the onion is slightly translucent, add the bell peppers, broccoli, and frozen pineapples. Saute until the water released by the pineapples has evaporated. 
• Once the vegetables have cooked, add the tomato sauce you prepared earlier. Cook for a few minutes and add the pasta and reduce heat to low. Cover the pot and let the pasta simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes. You can add ¼ cup of water if the pasta seems dry.
• Add more salt to taste if needed and serve with some avocado, lemon juice, and coarse sea salt if desired. If you want some more spice, a touch of cayenne pepper is great.