I made this with chickpea/quinoa pasta we had on hand and initially created it as a pantry cleanout meal - some of our favorites! I ended up adding carrots, bell peppers, olives and chickpeas, and then an olive oil + herb dressing at the end. You can't beat a one pot meal!! And looks at all those veggies!

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Chickpea, Bell Pepper and Olive Pasta Salad

An easy, pantry-friendly Mediterranean inspried recipe for pasta salad with olives, chickpeas, bell peppers, kale and carrots.

Course Lunch

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword Bell Pepper, Chickpeas, Olives, Pasta, Salad

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 small package pasta I used gluten free chickpea/quinoa pasta here
• 3 bell peppers, diced
• 2-3 carrots, diced
• 1 can olives (diced or whole)
• 2 cans chickpeas (~ 25 ounces); 1 can would work too
• ¼ cup olive oil; more to taste
• ½ tsp salt; more to taste
• fresh cracked pepper
• ½ tsp each dried basil, oregano, parsley; fresh would be great too

Instructions

• Cook pasta according to package. While pasta is cooking, dice any veggies if you haven't done so already.
• Drain pasta, reserving about ½ cup of pasta water to use for sauce (if desired).
• Toss in the veggies, chickpeas and olives immediately, stirring to combine (this should warm everything up). Add in the olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper and combine. Add more olive oil and/or a bit of pasta water if the mixture looks (e.g., if it's a big box of pasta0.
• Serve on its own or on top of a bed of lettuce/kale like we did! Bon appetit!

The post Chickpea, Olive and Bell Pepper Pasta Salad appeared first on French Pressed Kitchen.

This gourmet pasta dinner came about when I bought a box of Cappello's paleo gnocchi at Whole Foods several weeks ago with a pumpkin pasta recipe in mind. I had used the normal pasta before and loved it, but now I wanted to try the gnocchi. Pillow of airy goodness - can't go wrong. It was definitely a splurge purchase, but worth it!

I've made my own gnocchi before, too, which isn't too hard, but these are great if you on the go and want something paleo + premade. Regular pasta or gnocchi would be great as well.

Okay - back to the inspiration. I was searching through my freezer and found some delicious Trader Joe's mushrooms I had bought on a whim and pearl onions, leftover from my beef bourgignon. Frozen veggies are just the best, they come in so handy when you least expect it!! You can definitely use fresh vegetables, but frozen makes it a bit easier if you're not sure when you'll cook it. This plus a few bits of bacon, salt, pepper, parsley and coconut milk = awesome sauce (literally...).

If you're worried the coconut milk will be too coconutty, like me, fear not!!! It becomes just a light creamy sauce and kind of absorbs the flavors around it. I was surprised how easily this came together and how great the flavors worked together. One more pan pic so you can see how much delicious is ahead of you.

I served mine with a side of spinach sauteed in coconut oil. Another light veggie like broccolini would be delightful, too. If you need a bit more protein I might suggest a runny egg on top.

Don't forget to create a slurry for this recipe - it keeps the sauce from getting lumpy!

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Creamy Paleo Mushroom + Bacon Gnocchi

You won't even notice this creamy pasta sauce is dairy free. Serve in with any pasta you like, or use a grain free version to keep this dish paleo friendly!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 3 -4 servings

Author Andrea @ French Pressed Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon diced
• 1 cup pearl frozen pearl onions or 1 cup diced onion
• 2 cloves of garlic diced
• 12 ounces sliced mushrooms
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons arrowroot flour
• ¾ can full fat coconut milk
• Parsley for garnishing
• 1 box Cappello's paleo gnocchi or other pasta (about 12 ounces)

Instructions

• Cook the bacon until slightly crispy, then transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon or fork.
• Leave a bit of the bacon grease in your pan to cook the onions and garlic. Add both and cook until onions are soft and garlic is fragrant.
• Add the mushrooms and cook until soft. I used frozen onions and mushrooms so once they defrosted in the pan, this didn't take long. Add the salt and pepper.
• In a separate bowl, create the slurry - combine the arrowroot flour and a splash of the coconut milk, whisking until smooth.
• Add the slurry to the onion and mushroom mix, then add the remaining coconut milk. Making the slurry first will ensure that the liquid isn't lumpy when you add it.
• Let the liquid come to a gentle simmer, then cook for a few minutes on low, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken nicely at this point. If it looks too thick, add a splash more of the milk. Add in the bacon at the end.
• Meanwhile, boil water for your pasta. Cook your pasta according the package, taking off a minute or two of cook time since they will cook more in the pan. I boiled my gnocchi for about 2 minutes.
• Transfer pasta to the big sauce pan and stir in. Revel in the beauty of your cream sauce.
• Garnish with parsley and enjoy!

Notes

Notes: I recommend serving this with greens on the side (spinach or broccoli would be great!) and a runny egg if you need extra protein.

Bon appétit my friends!

The post Creamy Paleo Mushroom + Bacon Gnocchi appeared first on French Pressed Kitchen.