When you are told you need to eat a gluten-free diet it can be devastating. Gluten is in everything around you, and it can be difficult to find good substitutes. Luckily, I have found a few brands of gluten-free pasta that hold up well in most dishes. Reasonably priced brands can be found in the specialty pasta and gluten-free section of your grocery store. Here is a recipe for Gluten-Free Italian Pasta Salad that you can make for your family and/or friends to enjoy!

LOW FAT GLUTEN-FREE ITALIAN PASTA SALAD1 (12-16oz) box of gluten-free pasta – shells or elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons (tsp) dried oregano
1 teaspoon (tsp) dried basil
1 teaspoon (tsp) dried thyme
2 tablespoons (tbsp) minced garlic, (saute it lightly to decrease its strength)
1 large cucumber quartered and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 large tomato chopped into ½ inch pieces
½ cup mild pepper rings
½ small red onion, diced

Method:
Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain and set aside. In small bowl mix together vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice and dried herbs. Add cucumber, tomato, garlic, onion and pepper rings into a large bowl with pasta. Pour dressing over veggies and pasta. Mix lightly to thoroughly coat the pasta.

Note: Some individuals with extreme cases of celiac disease may be advised to avoid vinegar due to its origins in the grain world. Most people will not be affected by using vinegar in their meal preparation. Do proceed with caution if you have had reactions from vinegar in the past. A suitable substitute for vinegar is lemon or lime juice. In this case, you could easily add an additional ¼ cup of water to the lemon juice to dilute it and omit the vinegar in the above recipe. Then, blend the oil and herbs together for a light dressing.

If you use a gluten-free brand of pasta in your household, please share with us!

*Disclaimer*- I was not compensated for this informational post. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.