Rice Noodles with Tomatoes and Tuna -A Savoury Gluten-free Alternative to Pasta

Ok. I never thought that the day would come when I would sing the praises of a rice noodle. Let alone consider it a valid, gluten-free alternative to pasta. But I've come to understand and love the little blighters.

In olden times (that is until about 4 months ago) I thought I couldn't live without pasta; then I tried - and discovered how much better I felt. My body certainly is a happier creature on rice noodles.

But pasta is a fantastic vehicle for carrying flavours, and rice noodles, truth to tell, are not. Still rice noodles have the edge in that you can get them from packet to table, sauced, within about 15 minutes flat.

There's no need to bring huge vats of water to the boil, salt humungously and then drain off a veritable sea of potentially lethal, scalding water. (Never a good idea with small children and furry companions in the kitchen.) All you have to do is boil a kettle full of water, throw the noodles into a bowl, pour the contents of the kettle over and leave to sit for a few minutes while you prepare the sauce.

(Oops! That's my English heritage revealed. If you live without the joy of a kettle for boiling the water for your daily 'fix' of tea, then you'll have to bring a couple of litres of water to the boil as you normally do and then proceed as above.)

Now the sauce is, of course, the interesting part. The trick is to build up layers of flavour and then cook the noodles in the sauce for a couple of minutes, so that the noodles really absorb the sauce. But this takes chutzpah (aka barefaced cheek) and flies in the face of received wisdom about what you do, when and how.

So be it, I say. The end result is delicious. It's filling, but light enough on the digestion for a picky maiden aunt.

Leftovers, if you have any, are great at room temperature. And it showcases lots of great Italian flavours in a slightly unconventional way.

Oh, and if you ever need to, you could probably keep a self-respecting vampire away with this one. But, hey, everyone's got to live and garlic's health giving properties are not to be sneered at.

("Gloriously Gluten Free", the cookbook, boasts a number of more conventional conventional recipes for corn pasta and polenta.)

Rice noodles with tomatoes and tuna

Makes 6 appetizer portions, 3-4 main course servings

1 x 250 g/ 8 oz packet medium rice noodles
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 or 4 plump garlic cloves (crushed, peeled, green germ removed and minced )
1 good pinch, or as much as 1/4 tsp, dried chilli flakes
6 anchovy fillets in olive oil (drained and finely chopped)
4 tbs tomato paste/puree
125ml/ 4 fl oz/ 1/2 cup dry white wine (good enough to drink)
250g/ 8 oz cherry, or mini plum tomatoes cut into quarters
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
200g/ 7 oz can tuna in olive oil (drained)
3-4 tbs diced black olives (stones removed)

Method

Place the rice noodles in a bowl and, as directed above, pour approximately 2 litres of boiling water over. (If it's slightly less or slightly more, it really doesn't matter, provided the noodles are fully covered. Give them a quick stir around with a wooden spoon, so you don't get the odd gummy clump that has not absorbed the water evenly.)

Now ignore the noodles for a few minutes while you deal with the other ingredients. Place the garlic and chilli flakes with the olive oil in a medium-large frying pan over medium-high heat. ( Adjust the heat, as necessary, to prevent burning.)

As soon as the mixture becomes fragrant and the garlic starts to turn golden, add the anchovies and stir well.

Now add the tomato paste/puree and stir furiously, to dissolve it.

Add the wine and leave to bubble away for a couple of minutes while you drain the noodles and hack them into smaller lengths with a pair of kitchen scissors. (Sure, you're not meant to do this for Oriental dishes; it's meant to bring bad luck, but it makes eating them easier, andit will protect your shirt.) Add the sliced tomatoes, turn the heat up to high and give them a minute to soften. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bearing in mind that rice noodles are naturally flavour vampires, this is no time to go light on the salt.

Break the tuna into flakes as you add it to the pan and stir. Quickly add the noodles and toss for a minute or two until all the noodles are well coated.

Finally add the chopped olives, stir again, transfer to a serving dish and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Buon appetito.

(C) 2005 Annie Kaszina

Annie Kaszina, Coach, writer and 'foodie'is not a Celiac, but has foresworn wheat in the interest of 'caring for a delicate digestion'. She works with Celiac Gina Gardiner to provide great information and recipes to restore the confidence and zest for eating of Celiacs who have had their easy enjoyment of food taken away from them by their disease.

Annie's e-cookbook "Gloriously Gluten Free" and Gina's handbook for Celiacs "Live Well - Eat Well With Celiac Disease" are available through their website: http://www.celiacliving.com.

---

Rockfish Bessie

Ingredients 5-6 lbs. Whole Rockfish 1 Onion 1 Lemon... Read More

Dining With The Romans

Numerius was a slave and ate one meal a day... Read More

Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipes

What makes great homemade BBQ sauce recipes? Well, it could... Read More

Staight Talk from a Comfort Foodie: World Peace Through Vegetarianism

I became a vegetarian in the early 80's. The Czech... Read More

Easy Trail Mixes

Before you set off on your next family walk or... Read More

Vegetarian Diet Tips: Make Your Vegetarian Diet A Balanced Diet!

The world has opened eyes to the harmful side-effects of... Read More

Straight Talk from a Comfort Foodie - The Gravy Train

In all fairness to my mother and the great homemaker... Read More

Easy-Cheesy Casserole

I have always loved mac-n-cheese, and this variation is one... Read More

Spinach Salad with Mango and Papaya

This is a great summer salad, leaving you refreshed even... Read More

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Experience

Just about everyone loves freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Many... Read More

Shrimp Scampi Recipes

Many people have different ideas on how to prepare great... Read More

A Simple Technique to Remember Grocery Items

Whoops! I Forgot the ... at the Grocery Store!Have you... Read More

Teas from Wild Plants and Their Benefits

All these teas (unless specified) are brewed with one teaspoon... Read More

Finding Delicious Cookie Recipes

Many of us have an inner baker inside us that... Read More

Low Carb Christmas Enchiladas!

FELIZ NAVIDAD...IT'S A LOW CARB CALIFORNIA CHRISTMAS FIESTA!We low carbers... Read More

Party Appetizer Recipes ? So Easy And So Affordable!

These are two of my favorite party appetizer recipes that... Read More

All About Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry shortcake may be a 200 year-old American invention. With... Read More

Ribolitta: The Italian Way Of Having Your Five Veggies A Day!

Ribollita is a delicious low fat Italian soup, a bit... Read More

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls from Scratch (in 2 hours or less!)

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a dozen... Read More

Broccoli Rabe with Caramelized Onions and Garlic

Broccoli is a major EnergyRich ?, food and strength builder.... Read More

Noodles

Different cultures have their own way of taking some water... Read More

6 Steps to Beating Childhood Obesity

These days kids would rather spend time on the computer... Read More

Oregano Dressing - Good for Allergies

An Individual Health Recipe to EnjoyAs the weather becomes warmer... Read More

Main Dish Zucchini Recipes

With summer coming to an end, you probably have an... Read More

Low Fat Pasta: Why and How to Make it.

Making your own pasta is not difficult. It's actually very... Read More

Holiday Recipe: Filled Cookies

From the book: Christmas In Dairyland (True Stories From a... Read More

How to Make a Seductive Chili

Dedicated Chili cooks always seem to be looking for an... Read More

So, You Have A Crockpot - Now Youll Want Crockpot Recipes

To those of us that don't know, crockpot recipes are... Read More

Serendipity Frozen Hot Chocolate

Serendipity frozen hot chocolate is a signature dish at the... Read More

Nutritious Chocolate Recipes

Are you eating enough fruit lately? How about chocolate? Well,... Read More

Kid Party Food - Without the Stress!

Kid party food doesn't have to take hours to prepare... Read More

Home Made Ice Cream Recipe for Coffee Can Ice Cream

The very best thing about having birthday cake is the... Read More

Texas Pecan Treats

Come August, there is nowhere I'd rather NOT be than... Read More