I love this time of year when market is flooded with produce locally grown in Ontario. I am really enjoying myself while shopping and planning the next delicious recipe.

Just recently I decided to create a popular Italian cuisine inspired penne with Rosee sauce because I got great deal on fresh tomatoes, baby marrow and basil. It turned out to be totally finger licking good, which is another proof that we don’t need dairy to make delicious traditional meals. I always loved spelt penne, which is also very healthy, so I’m using it in this recipe. However, if you do prefer gluten free pasta that is absolutely fine and the result will be equally successful. To substitute the traditional cream, I’m using blend of tofu and Tofutti cream cheese, which is not only cruelty free, but also very light and low in calories.

For those of us who are not allergic to gluten but are trying to eliminate as much as possible, spelt is one of the healthier options because is low in gluten, highly nutritious, usually organically grown and GMO free.

Spelt is one of the oldest cultivated crops in human history and is believed to have first been used between 7,000 and 8,000 years ago. Spelt is a a variety of grain or cereal that is closely related to wheat. In fact, spelt likely developed from a hybridization of emmer wheat and and wild goat-grass. It is closely related to normal “bread” wheat, but the popularity of bread wheat soon made spelt obsolete, which is why it is considered a “relic” crop. However, it is making a comeback as a health food, particularly in Spain, the United Kingdom, and other parts of Europe. It is actually packed with nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and essential organic compounds that other cereals and forms of wheat don’t contain, which might explain the renewed interest in spelt. The scientific name of this ancient food staple is Triticum spelta, but it is more commonly known as hulled wheat or dinkel wheat. Read more