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    Home » RECIPES » Entrees

    Creamy Quinoa Pasta Casserole (Gluten-Free)

    Published: Apr 21, 2014 / Modified: Jun 2, 2020 by: Karen Lee / This post may contain affiliate links. As Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. /

    Jump to Recipe ⬇️

    quinoa

    Creamy Quinoa Pasta Casserole is gluten free and dairy free pasta dish that will fool any pasta lovers. Creamy Veggie Quinoa Pasta in white bowl

    This easy-to-make quinoa pasta casserole is a big bowl of comfort food. Perfect for a any crowd.

    I grew up eating mac and cheese, and I'm betting that many of you did the same. My family had some financial ups and downs when I was a kid, and during lean times my pops would mix our mac and cheese with a bag of frozen peas to stretch the food budget and give us a little bit of extra nutrition. My dad's thrifty ways are the inspiration for the recipe below.

    The recipe below is a plant-based take on that classic meal. To beef up the nutrition in dad's recipe even more, I added an extra veggie blast with broccoli. If you're not a broccoli fan, don't worry! I've got some substitutions for you below, or you can skip the extra veggies entirely if you're more of a mac and cheese purist.

    broccoli in two cup pyrex cup

    Meet Quinoa Pasta!

    OK, you've got me. The pasta in this recipe isn't macaroni. I'm using little shells, but they're not just any pasta shells. This pasta is made with a blend of organic quinoa and organic corn flours instead of semolina wheat. And it's Gluten-Free!

    If you're worried about GMO corn, don't fret! Since the corn flour in this pasta is organic, it's non-GMO by definition.

    Acient Harvest Quinoa Pasta

    Quinoa pasta is pretty awesome stuff. It's one of the few whole grain pasta that tastes like traditional pasta to me. There's no gritty or wheaty taste, and the texture is spot on. It's gluten free and contains no animal ingredients.

    You can find quinoa pasta - shells and other varieties - in the natural foods section at most grocery stores, like Whole Foods or on Amazon (Affiliate Link,) if it's not available where you are.

    Creamy Quinoa Pasta Casserole (Gluten-Free)

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    Creamy Veggie Quinoa Pasta
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    Creamy Quinoa Pasta Casserole (Gluten-Free)

    Craving Pasta Casserole? This gluten-free pasta casserole is creamy and rich and you won't believe it's dairy-free too!
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time25 minutes mins
    Course : Entree
    Cuisine : Vegetarian
    Keyword : Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 492kcal
    Author: Karen Lee

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz box of quinoa pasta shells prepared according to package instructions and drained
    • 1 ⅓ c frozen peas
    • 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
    • 2 ½ c fresh broccoli chopped

    Cream Sauce

    • 1 c raw cashews soaked for 4-6 hours, then drained
    • ½ c additional water
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • ½ c nutritional yeast
    • salt and black pepper to taste
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • In a 2 ½ quart baking dish, toss together the pasta and peas. Set this aside.
    • Heat the oil in a large skillet, and sauté the broccoli until it's nice and tender. Make the cream sauce.

    Cream Sauce

    • To make the cashew cream sauce, combine the cashews, water, garlic, and nutritional yeast in a blender or a food processor. Blend until completely smooth.
    • Fold the broccoli and the cashew cream sauce into the pasta/peas mixture right in the baking dish. Season with the salt and pepper.
    • Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Let the casserole stand for about five minutes before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 492kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 725IU | Vitamin C: 70.5mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 3.6mg
    DisclosureThis recipe may contain links that pay commission to this site when you purchase from the links, at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure!
    Tried this recipe? Share your photo and mention @drkarenslee or tag #drkarenslee!

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    About Karen Lee

    I am a food writer, recipe developer, and a cookbook author sharing my family’s favorite simple & easy, allergy-friendly recipes with you! Let's connect on Instagram || Facebook || Pinterest || YouTube Learn more about me on the ABOUT page.

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    Karen Lee

    Hi, I'm Karen! I am a food writer, recipe developer, and a cookbook author sharing my family’s favorite allergy-friendly, simple & easy recipes with you!

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