Taste Testing Pillsbury Pizza Dough!

The Product

Before you get excited, I’ll confirm that Pillsbury gluten-free pizza dough is not yet available in Canada. However, hopefully their recent Canadian launch of other gluten-free products has done well enough that they’ll consider bringing it here.

I picked up a 360-gram tub of Pillsbury gluten-free pizza dough at Whole Foods Market while in the U.S. recently for $3.99.

 

The Test

We had friends over unexpectedly on the weekend, so I decided this was a good time to try out the new dough. I prepared and baked it pretty much as instructed: cut the dough ball in half, flattened each piece into a pizza shape, par-baked it for 11 minutes, added toppings, and baked for about 5 more minutes. The only thing different was that I didn’t flip it between the two baking steps since I had put it in the pan incorrectly the first time (with the crust part up instead of down).

We made a classic margherita-style pizza with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning, as well as a caramelized onion and bacon pizza.

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What’s For Dinner? Simple Spaghetti and Perfect Garlic Bread!

There’s nothing that I love more than a big Italian meal with pasta, bread, and Caesar salad. It’s easy to make it gluten-free!

Why We Love It

This meal can be prepared and served in less than 20 minutes – perfect for a weeknight Italian feast.

Ingredients

Pasta

• One 450 gram package of corn or quinoa spaghetti noodles (about one pound)
• One or two cloves of garlic (depending on your preference)
• About one tablespoon olive oil
• Handful of fresh parsley, basil, and/or oregano (depending on your preference)
• One 400 mL can of diced tomatoes
• Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
• Fresh Parmesan cheese

Bread

• One loaf of French-style gluten-free bread (such as Udi’s French baguette)
• Approximately ½ cup of store-bought garlic butter (if you want to make your own, see the Tips below)
• Approximately 2 tablespoons of fresh Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup cheddar or mozzarella cheese, grated (optional but delicious!)

Method

Pasta

1. Boil a big pot of salted water.
2. Peel and chop the garlic.
3. Place about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan. Heat it up over medium heat and sauté the garlic.
4. Finely chop the herbs while the garlic is sautéing.
5. Once garlic is slightly browned, add the tomatoes and the herbs.
6. Allow everything to cook through for about five minutes, or until bubbling.
7. While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta in the boiling salted water according to package directions.
8. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
9. Drain spaghetti and add to the pan of sauce. (You can re-use the spaghetti pot if it’s easier.)
10. Serve topped with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Bread

1. Slice the loaf in one-inch intervals, almost all the way through.
2. Soften the garlic butter in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Then, mix in the Parmesan with a mixer or fork.
3. Spread this mixture over the loaf and between each of the slices. You may need to make more mixture depending on the size of your loaf.
4. If desired, top with grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese.
5. Wrap loaf loosely in foil. Bake according to package directions. (I usually cook a room-temperature loaf at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.)
6. Once baking time has been reached, you may want to peel back foil and allow the loaf to brown.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

• Fresh ingredients make all the difference in this dish!
• We found the Udi’s French baguette at Masstown Market.
• You can also make your own garlic butter! Simply soften half a cup of butter and stir in a clove of minced garlic and a few leaves of chopped parsley.
• Round out the meal with a Caesar salad featuring Renée’s gluten-free Mighty Caesar dressing.

Great Gluten-Free Alternatives!

I find that having good gluten-free alternatives for foods I love makes the diet so much easier! With this in mind, I’d like to share some gluten-free options for my favorite foods.

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