Quinoa Puttanesca

Puttanesca sauce, an intensely flavored sauce of tomatoes, olives, and capers, is the perfect way to liven up an ordinary bowl of quinoa. This idea was actually inspired by Isa Chandra Moskowitz although I ended up adapting a puttanesca sauce recipe from Rachael Ray to serve over the quinoa. This puttanesca might not follow the traditional Italian recipe but it is quite amazing. Roasting the tomatoes first develops a lot of extra flavor without having to simmer the sauce for hours and hours.


Quinoa Puttanesca
Gluten Free
Serves 2
Click Here for Printable Recipe

Ingredients--
Roasted Puttanesca Sauce:
8 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon anchovy paste*
1/2 of a jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
6-8 pitted olives, finely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1/4 fresh parsley, chopped

Quinoa:
1 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup quinoa

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then arrange a cooling rack on top. Spray with nonstick spray.

2. Place cut tomatoes in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with marjoram, oregano, salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

3. Arrange tomatoes on baking sheet cut side down. Roast tomatoes 20 minutes, then flip and roast 20-22 minutes more, or until beginning to turn golden.

4. Once cool enough to handle, transfer tomatoes to a cutting board and chop into small pieces.

5. Spray a medium skillet with nonstick spray and heat to medium low. Add garlic, anchovy paste, and jalapeno; saute for 1 minute, or until fragrant.

6. Stir in chopped tomatoes, olives, and capers.. Raise heat to high and bring sauce to a boil, stirring often.

7. Reduce heat to low and let sauce simmer until ready to use, at least 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. While the sauce is simmering, begin the quinoa-- add chicken broth, oregano, and salt to a small saucepan and bring to boil.

9. Stir in quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover, and gently simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender, 14-16 minutes. (You can tell the quinoa is finished cooking, when you the kernel has popped open and you can see the germ of the kernel).

10. Scoop quinoa into two bowls, then pour puttanesca sauce on top. Garnish each dish with fresh parsley.

* Anchovy paste is a quick and easy substitute for anchovies when you only need a small amount. You can find it in specialty grocery stores like The Fresh Market. If you can't find any paste, you can 1 teaspoon anchovy paste* with 2 anchovy filet or simply omit from the recipe.

Nutrition Information--approximately 320 calories per serving (1/2 of the recipe)