TABLE Magazine’s friend, Liz Fetchin, a native Pittsburgher, PR firm director, everyday home cook, and food blogger shares easy but delicious recipes free of the top 8 most common food allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. Liz’s amazing Octofree® recipes are delectable for all!

Gluten-free pasta has come a long way, both in terms of texture (al dente and gluten-free are no longer mutually exclusive) and ingredients. While choices were once limited to varieties made from brown rice or corn, it’s now easy to find beautiful and colorful varieties that incorporate healthful ingredients such as lentils, beans, quinoa, and even charcoal. We tested different shapes and varieties to arrive at these three flavorful, complex, and visually-pleasing dishes for your spring table. We even used dairy alternatives to make the dishes accessible to a wider swath of people with food sensitivities. We’d proudly serve the results to any guests—even those without dietary restrictions.

 For more allergen-free recipes and perspectives, visit Liz Fetchin’s blog, Octofree at octofree.com.

Green Pea Pasta with Sunflower Seed Pesto

Ingredients  

• 1 cup fresh basil, packed (or try kale or parsley), plus a few extra leaves for garnish

• ½ cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds

• 4 garlic cloves

• Juice of 1 lemon

• ½ cup olive oil

• ½ tsp each of salt and black pepper

• 1 cup frozen green peas

• 1 lb gluten-free green pasta, such as Fresh Thyme’s Green Pea Fusilli

• Violife Just Like Parmesan, optional garnish

Instructions

• Place greens, pumpkin seeds, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper into your food processor and blend until a very fine chop is achieved.

• Taste, and adjust salt, pepper, olive oil or lemon juice until just right. Place in pasta serving bowl.

• Rinse frozen peas in warm water to defrost. Drain well. Add to pasta serving bowl.

• Prepare pasta per package instructions. Add pasta to serving bowl and toss until coated with sauce.

• Garnish with grated Violife Just Like Parmesan. Add roughly chopped basil leaves and serve.

Story by Liz Fetchin/ Food Styling Anna Calabrese/ ⁠Photography by Dave Bryce/ Follow Octofree®