"Open" Meal Pasta

Tonight's dinner was a request from my kids... no, a "plea" from my kids! PASTA PLEASE. I've been wanting to try this pasta that Narine gave me... Quinoa pasta. It's naturally gluten free (made from corn & quinoa flour). Thank you, Narine!!! So... tonight was an "open" meal... which is when you stretch your liberties a little with the paleo guidelines on one particular meal. The pasta was GREAT (and still gluten free). Of course the biggest justification for this wonderful meal tonight was the fact that we did a 2K row in CrossFit today! Congratulations to everyone who rowed today, especially to everyone who PR'd this row! Don't we all deserve a little pasta?

Michele has also recommended Soba noodles... a Japanese buckwheat pasta that is also naturally gluten free and shucked instead of milled (making it a more paleo-wise pasta choice)... read the label carefully to make sure it states: 100% buckwheat. It is really OKAY, when you are eating paleo strictly, to enjoy an "open" meal from time-to-time! :-)

Zone wise, this was not extremely balanced. 1 C of pasta, 1/4 C sauce, and 1 chicken sausage = 3F, 2P, and 5 C... If you want a higher block meal, you could actually have two sausages to up the fat and protein and make it more balanced (that's what Scott did... making it 5-4-5).

Pasta Sauce Recipe:

3-4 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 tsp olive oil

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (no added salt)

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste (no added salt)

1 C red wine

1 T Italian seasoning

1 tsp black pepper

a little water (as needed)

Fresh basil, chopped (about 1/4-1/2 C)

Saute garlic and onion in olive oil. Add tomato sauce, paste, and red wine. Bring to a low boil. Add seasonings and simmer, uncovered for about an hour (add water as needed for desired consistency). Add basil a little before serving. I browned sausages and added them to the sauce while it simmered.

Today was another great benchmark WOD for the Paleo/Zone challenge... and a true testament to just how well this works! There were MORE pr's on the whiteboard today... It's been wonderful to witness all your successes! Congratulations!! :-)