Tag Archive for: gluten free recipes

Vegetable quinoa and buckwheat bake is one of those recipes that truly simplifies everyday cooking: everything is prepared in a single pan, first on the hob and then finished in the oven, with no unnecessary steps and no extra washing up. A small detail that makes a big difference, especially when time is limited but you still want a complete meal.

In this bake, the key ingredients are quinoa and buckwheat, two naturally gluten-free pseudocereals with very interesting nutritional properties.

Quinoa, originally from the Andean region and cultivated for thousands of years by pre-Columbian populations, was already considered a staple food by the Incas, who referred to it as the “mother grain”.

Even today, it is widely appreciated and often considered a superfood for several reasons: 1) it contains all essential amino acids, which is quite rare in plant-based foods; 2) it provides a good amount of fibre; 3) it has a moderate glycaemic index; 4) it is rich in minerals such as magnesium, iron and potassium; 5) it contains antioxidant compounds.

Buckwheat, despite its name, is not a cereal but a plant belonging to a different botanical family. It is also naturally gluten-free, with a good fibre content and an interesting supply of minerals such as magnesium and iron.

When used in a preparation like this bake — together with eggs and vegetables — they help create a complete, satisfying dish that is also easy to manage from a glycaemic perspective.

A practical, versatile recipe, suitable for everyday cooking, designed to optimise time and steps without compromising on ingredient quality.

ilaria-bertinelli-tortino-di-quinoa-e-grano-saraceno

Vegetable quinoa and buckwheat bake

16g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 300 g red onions
  • 150 g carrots
  • 100 g quinoa*
  • 100 g buckwheat*
  • 100 g cherry tomatoes
  • 100 g peas
  • 80 g leek
  • 40 g milk
  • 3 eggs
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Oregano
  • Salt and pepper
  • Cream cheese, to serve

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Cook the quinoa and buckwheat separately in lightly salted water for about 20 minutes. Cover and leave to cool slightly.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a non-stick pan that is also ovenproof. Add the sliced leek, onions, diced carrots and peas. Season with a pinch of salt, add a few tablespoons of water and cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and cook for a further 3 minutes. Season with pepper and a pinch of oregano.
  4. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the milk. Add the cooked quinoa and buckwheat, mix well, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then pour the mixture into the pan with the vegetables.
  5. Cook over a low heat for 5 minutes while preheating the oven to 180°C. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
  6. Serve warm, either on its own or with fresh, creamy cheese.

Mashed potatoes and broad beans with sautéed greens is a simple, seasonal and nutritionally balanced dish — perfect for getting even the most sceptical family members to enjoy their vegetables!

Potatoes are always a crowd-pleaser and, in this recipe, they give the mash a naturally soft and creamy texture. Fresh broad beans add flavour along with an interesting plant-based protein component. The sautéed greens, with their slightly bitter note, balance the dish and make it more appealing to the palate.

From a nutritional perspective, broad beans are often overlooked, yet they are well worth including more regularly in your diet. They provide fibre and plant-based protein, both of which contribute to satiety and help slow down the absorption of carbohydrates in the meal. They are also a good source of folate and contain minerals such as iron and magnesium.

Compared to other legumes, fresh broad beans have a lower carbohydrate content and, when used in a dish like this — which also includes fibre and healthy fats from extra virgin olive oil — they help keep the overall glycaemic impact of the meal more balanced.

A naturally gluten-free recipe, ideal for those looking for simple, balanced dishes that fit easily into everyday cooking. And if you’re in the mood for salads, here’s what to look for in May: hearty, fortified salads.

ilaria-bertinelli-macco-di-patate-e-fave

Mashed potatoes and broad beans with sautéed greens

13.2g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

  • 500 g potatoes
  • 250 g mixed greens (chard, chicory, baby spinach)
  • 60 g fresh broad beans, shelled
  • Wild fennel
  • Fresh chilli
  • Parsley
  • Garlic
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

 Preparation

  1. Blanch the broad beans in salted water for a few minutes, then remove their outer skins.
  2. Boil the whole potatoes with their skins on. Once cooked, peel and mash them with a fork.
  3. Add the broad beans to the mashed potatoes along with 30 g of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, freshly ground pepper and finely chopped wild fennel.
  4. Blanch the greens in lightly salted boiling water, then drain and transfer them to cold water.
  5. Heat a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, one garlic clove and some fresh chilli. Add the blanched greens and sauté to flavour.
  6. To serve, spread the potato and broad bean mash on a serving dish, top with the sautéed greens and finish with chopped parsley, freshly ground pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

This Spring Salad is a dish that tells the story of the season through its most vibrant colours and textures. At this time of year, nature offers us extraordinary vegetables, not only for their flavour but also for their nutritional properties, perfect for creating complete, light, and satisfying dishes.

Rainbow chard, with its stems ranging from yellow to deep red, is not just visually striking: it is rich in vitamins (particularly A, C and K) and minerals such as magnesium and potassium. The leaves have a delicate texture and a slightly earthy flavour, while the crunchier stems allow you to play with different textures within the same ingredient, also helping to reduce food waste in the kitchen.

Snow peas, also knowns as Mangetout, are a typical spring vegetable and stand out for their sweetness and tender yet crunchy texture. High in fibre and vitamin C, they contribute to satiety and support intestinal health. They are also particularly versatile and pair easily with a wide range of ingredients.

Alongside them, asparagus completes the dish with its slightly bitter, more pronounced flavour, typical of spring vegetables, and is also known for its detoxifying properties.

This salad was created to make the most of these seasonal ingredients, presenting them in a form that goes beyond a classic salad: a dish where vegetables are the absolute stars, combined with proteins and healthy fats for a complete nutritional balance. Naturally gluten free, it is also perfect for people affected by type 1 diabetes, thanks to its fibre content, which helps moderate blood sugar response.

ilaria-bertinelli-insalatona

Spring Salad

2g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for 4-6 servings

  • 400 g rainbow chard
  • 400 g asparagus
  • 300 g snow peas or mangetout
  • 2 eggs
  • 30 g peeled almonds
  • 30 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • 1 heaped tsp soy lecithin*
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Wash the snow peas and cut them into pieces.
  2. Separate the stems of the rainbow chard from the leaves.
  3. Bring a pot of water to the boil, add salt, and cook the snow peas and chard stems for 8 minutes. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and plunge them into cold water, then drain.
    Trim the woody ends of the asparagus and cut the rest into pieces of the desired size. Pour a little oil into a pan, add a clove of garlic, then the asparagus, a pinch of salt, and a splash of water. Cover with a lid and cook until tender.
  4. Add the sugar snap peas and chard stems to the asparagus in the pan and sauté for a few minutes to infuse the flavours.
  5. Cut the chard leaves into strips and sauté them in a pan with a little oil. Transfer to a blender and add the almonds, Parmigiano, soy lecithin, extra virgin olive oil, a splash of water, salt and pepper. Blend until a smooth cream forms.
  6. Boil the eggs until hard boiled, then peel them.
  7. To assemble the salad: place the asparagus with snow peas and chard stems in a serving bowl, pour over the chard cream, and top with crumbled hard boiled eggs, seeds, a grind of pepper, salt if needed, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Tour of Italy in 20 ricette

Gluten-free Seupa alla Valpellinentza

With this first interview and recipe, my Tour of Italy in 20 Recipes officially begins—a project that, over the coming months, will take me on a journey across Italy from north to south, one region at a time, collecting stories, memories, and comfort dishes from people who, after being diagnosed with celiac disease, were forced—at least for a while—to give up flavors deeply connected to their personal history.

The first stop could only be Valle d’Aosta, a land of hearty, mountain-inspired, convivial cuisine. Guiding me on this opening stage were Michela and Mirella, who shared with me their Seupa alla Valpellinentza, a soup that is emblematic of the region—rich, deeply flavorful, and full of memories.

One of the key ingredients of this traditional recipe is rustic bread, a central element that is often difficult to replicate in a gluten-free version that truly lives up to the original. To honor the spirit of the dish, I chose to use my own recipe for Crunchy Wholemeal Gluten-Free Bread, which proved to be perfect in terms of structure, flavour, and its ability to absorb liquids, giving this soup an irresistible texture and depth of taste.

The result is a gluten-free Seupa alla Valpellinentza that preserves the soul of the traditional recipe and finally makes it possible to rediscover this great classic of Valdostan cuisine in a safe, gluten-free version.

This is just the beginning of the journey!
The next stop will be Piedmont: a new region, a new story, and a new recipe to bring back to the table in a gluten-free version.

Stay tuned to find out which recipe will be next.

ilaria-bertinelli-seupa-alla-valpellinentza

Gluten-free Seupa alla Valpellinentza

9g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

 

  1. Clean the Savoy cabbage and cut it into strips about 1 cm wide. Boil it in the meat broth until tender, then drain it, keeping both the cabbage and the broth aside.
  2. Cut the Fontina cheese into slices or chunks, removing the rind.
  3. Lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil and arrange a first layer of bread. Top with pieces of Fontina and the cooked cabbage, then add a ladle of broth before starting the next layer. I made two layers of bread.
  4. Finish with a final layer of bread topped with cabbage, Fontina, melted butter, and a light dusting of cinnamon. Add two or three generous ladles of broth, allowing the bread to absorb the liquid.
  5. Bake in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 180°C (356°F) for about 20 minutes. Once ready, let the soup rest in the switched-off oven for about 10 minutes before serving.

 

From north to south, Italy is waiting to be rediscovered… dish by dish, story by story. It is in this spirit that my project, Tour of Italy in 20 Recipes, was born. Starting in January 2026 and continuing over the next twenty months, I will take you on a culinary journey to explore regional Italian gastronomic traditions, reimagined in a gluten-free version, with careful attention to carbohydrate sharing and the most inclusive cooking possible.

ilaria-bertinelli-giro-d-italia-in-20-ricette

Tour of Italy in 20 recipes: a monthly appointment with regional gluten-free cuisine

This is not just about recipes. Every month, I will have the pleasure of meeting virtually with friends from all over Italy through video calls, where they will share their favourite recipe: the dish they missed the most after being diagnosed with celiac disease, the flavours that evoke memories of family, celebrations, and special moments.

My role will be to turn these stories into reality: I will recreate each dish gluten-free, preserving its flavours, textures, and soul, without compromise. Each recipe will also include carbohydrate information per 100g, helping those with diabetes calculate their insulin dose for the meal.

But this project is also a rediscovery of traditional Italian cuisine. From the rustic breads of the mountains in Valle d’Aosta, to Piedmontese stuffed pastas, to the sweets of the South, each stop will be an opportunity to explore the territory, the people, and their stories, bringing to the table dishes that convey identity, culture, and affection.

The Tour of Italy in 20 Recipes is not just a culinary journey: it is a journey through memories, emotions, and sharing, designed to make you feel part of every region, every story, and every dish.

Don’t miss a single stop! Every month, a new story, a new dish, a new piece of Italy to rediscover… and to enjoy in a gluten-free version.

As the holiday season approaches, the desire to prepare simple yet impressive desserts grows—little treats to enjoy with a cup of tea or delightful bites to bring to the table and surprise family and friends. These gluten-free Pumpkin Bounty Bars are an easy and quick recipe, perfect for anyone looking for a Christmas sweet that brings together flavour, lightness, and a touch of festive colour.

Pumpkin, with its natural sweetness and creamy texture, makes each bite soft and comforting, while ricotta adds balance and lightness. The desiccated coconut completes the magic with its fresh, exotic note. The result? Small 25-gram treats—indulgent yet nutritionally balanced—ideal for a snack or as a mini dessert at the end of a meal.

Coated in dark chocolate and decorated with almonds, raisins, or candied orange peel, these Pumpkin Bounty Bars bring a charming mix of colours and aromas to your holiday table. They’re perfect for creating a Christmas dessert corner, enriching a festive buffet, or offering as a thoughtful homemade gift.

An inclusive, naturally gluten-free recipe that celebrates autumn flavours and the magic of Christmas with simplicity and creativity.

ilaria-bertinelli-bounty-alla-zucca

Pumpkin Bounty Bars

24.4 g carbohydrates per 100 g (without decorations)
6.1 g carbohydrates per 1 pumpkin bounty

Ingredients

  • 200 g ricotta cheese
  • 80 g desiccated grated coconut*
  • 70 g cooked pumpkin, already cleaned
  • 40 g icing sugar*
  • 150 g dark chocolate

Ingredients to decorate

  • Almonds, raisins, and orange peel

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Mash the cooked pumpkin with a fork or blend it until smooth.
  2. Soften the ricotta in a bowl, then add the icing sugar, pumpkin purée, and finally the desiccated coconut.
  3. Shape the mixture into 25-gram bars, place them on a plate and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  4. In the meantime, melt the dark chocolate over a bain-marie or in the microwave and let it cool slightly.
  5. Dip each coconut bar into the chocolate to coat it completely, lay it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and decorate with raisins, almonds, or orange peel.
  6. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

ilaria-bertinelli-bounty-alla-zucca

There are recipes that taste of home, affection, and tradition — and Grandma’s Soup with Frue is one of them. With just three simple ingredients — potatoes, pasta, and Frue cheese — it becomes the kind of comforting dish that nourishes body and soul.

I discovered this recipe in Sardinia thanks to a kind lady I met while waiting in line at a local dairy. She told me she was buying Frue, a goat-and-sheep’s milk cheese with a slightly tangy flavour, to prepare this soup for her granddaughter, who said it was her favourite dish. I immediately fell in love with it too.

In summer, you can make it fresher by adding a few chopped tomatoes — a simple twist for a delicious variation.

If you’re a soup lover, don’t miss trying my Pulse Pasta with Rascino Lentils as well.

ilaria-bertinelli-minestra-della-nonna-con-frue

Grandma’s Soup with Frue

11g carbohydrates per 100g

Ingredients for 4 servings

  • 400g potatoes
  • 120g mixed small pasta or broken spaghetti **
  • 120g Frue cheese
  • chopped herbs of your choice
  • coarse salt
  • black pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Cut the potatoes into ½ cm cubes and place them in a saucepan with water and a pinch of coarse salt. Cook for around 10 minutes, or until tender.
  2. Add the pasta — choose small shapes that cook in the same time, or use short pieces of broken spaghetti. Cook until al dente.
  3. Mash the Frue cheese with a fork in a separate bowl.
  4. When the pasta is ready, remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the Frue until perfectly combined, then finish with chopped herbs and a grind of black pepper.

Polenta gnocchi with artichoke cream and toasted almonds: a no-waste recipe with great nutritional value.

Turning leftover polenta into a new and surprising dish is a fantastic way to reduce food waste while still enjoying delicious flavours. These alternative gnocchi, with their soft texture and delicate taste, pair perfectly with the artichoke cream, enhanced by the crunch of toasted almonds and the freshness of lemon zest.

A special touch comes from Miso, a fermented ingredient rich in probiotics, which adds depth of flavor and digestive benefits. This simple, nutritious, and inclusive dish is perfect for those who love sustainable and creative cuisine.

If you love gnocchi, try a classic with a spicy twist: Potato gnocchi with tomato sauce and ‘Nduja.

Polenta gnocchi with artichoke cream and toasted almonds

17.73g carbohydrates per 100g 

ilaria-bertinelli-gnocchi-di-polenta-ai-carciofi

Ingredients for the gnocchi

  • 300g cooked polenta*
  • 50g potato starch*
  • 50g brown rice flour*
  • 1 egg
  • 20g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • salt

Ingredients for the artichoke cream

  • 200g cleaned artichokes (about 4)
  • 100g medium potato
  • 30g shallot
  • 20g almonds (for garnish)
  • 1 scant teaspoon miso* (optional)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • zest and juice of ½ lemon
  • salt and pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Blend the cold polenta and mix it with the egg, flour, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, salt, and pepper until you get a smooth dough.
    Lightly flour your work surface and shape the gnocchi.
  2. Clean the artichokes by removing the tough outer leaves, cutting off the tips, and slicing the hearts into thin wedges. Soak them in lemon water to prevent browning.
  3. In a non-stick pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the chopped shallot with a garlic clove. Add the drained artichokes and the diced potato, letting them sauté for a few minutes. Then, add vegetable broth and cook for about 15 minutes, until the artichokes and potato are soft.
  4. Transfer everything to a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust with salt, pepper, and a scant teaspoon of Miso for an extra umami note.
  5. Cook the gnocchi in lightly salted boiling water, drain them, and toss them in a pan with the artichoke cream, adding a ladle of cooking water if needed. Plate and finish with toasted, lightly crushed almonds and grated lemon zest

 

Which salads can we prepare during the holiday season? December salads couldn’t but be suitable for a period of parties and celebrations.

In fact, these salads complement each other because one is perfect for enriching festive meals and the other for a detox meal before or after the Christmas treats.

Turnip and lamb’s lettuce salad is a way to use two ingredients that we rarely bring to the table at our place. White turnip is very low in calories, contains no cholesterol, has only 6 carbohydrates per 100g, but is very rich in vitamins and minerals, so consuming it means providing a good dose of antioxidants to cope with the cold season.

Coleslaw Salad is a great classic of Anglo-Saxon cuisine, but especially of Newark buffets, to use the cabbage in a mouth-watering way. The name is in fact the transformation into English of the Dutch terms ‘kool’, cabbage, and ‘sla’, a nickname for salad. My version is a light interpretation of the original in that I eliminated sugar in the preparation and diluted the mayonnaise with equal amounts of zero-fat Greek yoghurt.

Happy holidays by bringing December salads to the table, but don’t forget to explore other salad ideas, e.g. October salads.

Turnip and lamb’s lettuce salad

9,56g carbohydrates per 100g

insalata-di-rapa-bianca-e-songino

Ingredients for 4 servings

  • 2 white turnips
  • 100g lamb’s lettuce or other leafy greens
  • 90g pear
  • 20g maple syrup or honey
  • lemon juice
  • a few parsley leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • wood sorrel (optional)

Preparation

  1. Peel the turnips with a peeler, slice them very thinly using a mandoline and macerate them for 10-15 minutes with an emulsion of lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt and parsley.
  2. Slice the pear with the peel.
  3. Prepare a vinaigrette by mixing a few tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and chopped parsley.
  4. Arrange the lamb’s lettuce on the bottom of each plate, lay the turnip and pear on top, drizzle with the vinaigrette and finish with a grinding of pepper and the sorrel leaves.

Coleslaw

7g carbohydrates per 100g

Insalata-coleslaw

Ingredients for 4 servings

  • 250g white cabbage (approx. 1/2 cabbage)
  • 170g carrots (approx. 2)
  • 1 Granny Smith apple
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 3 spring onions (the white part)
  • 40g raisins
  • 40g shelled walnuts
  • chopped fresh herbs
  • salt and pepper

Ingredients for the sauce

  • 150g mayonnaise*
  • 150g fat-free Greek yoghurt
  • 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard*
  • 20g lemon juice
  • salt and pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Cut the cabbage into very thin strips; grate the carrots into julienne strips and slice the apples with the peel, but without the core.
  2. Chop the celery and spring onion finely, then put all the vegetables in a bowl.
  3. In a bowl, prepare the sauce: mix mayonnaise and yoghurt, season with mustard and lemon, then season with salt and pepper.
  4. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix well: the salad should be very well bound, i.e. have just the right amount of dressing to hold the vegetables together.
  5. Top the salad with sultanas and coarsely chopped walnuts, then complete with chopped fresh herbs to taste.

Can you think of those simple flavours that spark memories?  Oat pasta with cannellini beans is the perfect combination of traditional flavours and a touch of novelty.

One of the most typical dishes of Italian cuisine is in fact Pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans), a recipe often prepared with Borlotti beans and the addition of lard or bacon, which in the past were useful to give the necessary energy to face the hard work in the fields.

Instead, this version of Pasta e fagioli uses cannellini beans combined with oat pasta, where the wheat protein, gluten, is replaced by the high protein content in oat. Remember that beans are a valuable source of complex carbohydrates, plant proteins, fibre and are cholesterol-free, so the consumption of legumes is always a valuable ally in a balanced diet.

The flavour variation is the presence of sautéed cherry tomatoes with aromatic herbs that transform a classic taste into a fresher, juicier one.

If you love beans and tradition, try my Pisarei e fasò.

Oat pasta with cannellini beans

carbohydrates 13.63g per 100g

Mezzi-rigatoni-di-avena-ai-cannellini

Ingredients for 4 servings

  • 500g boiled cannellini beans (about 180g dry beans)
  • 240g cherry tomatoes
  • 140 g Oat pasta Felicia**
  • 1 shallots
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • dried sweet pepper or Crusco pepper
  • bay leaf
  • oregano
  • thyme
  • rosemary
  • chilli pepper
  • salt and pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Soak the cannellini beans for at least 12 hours, then boil them slowly in plenty of water with the addition of a bay leaf and, if available, a piece of Kombu seaweed to facilitate the beans’ future digestibility. Drain the beans and keep the cooking water.
  2. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and sautée them for a few minutes on high heat in a non-stick pan with a little extra virgin olive oil, a clove of garlic cut in half, a chilli pepper and chopped herbs.
  3. Put a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a pan, brown a finely chopped shallot and a clove of garlic and add the cooked cannellini beans, cover with plenty of cooking water or vegetable stock and leave them to take on flavour for 10 minutes.
  4. Keep a few tablespoons of cannellini beans aside and blend the rest with an immersion blender, then reassemble the bean soup.
  5. Cook the oat pasta in plenty of salted water, drain and pour it into the cannellini soup, then complete the dish: place the pasta and beans on individual plates, complete with the herb flavoured tomatoes, a grinding of pepper, a drizzle of oil and some chopped dried sweet pepper or Crusco pepper.

Version with gluten of Oat pasta with cannellini beans

The recipe contains only naturally gluten-free ingredients.