Italian has always been one of my favorite vegan fallback cuisines, whether it be a quick weeknight meal at home or an easy selection at a local restaurant. It’s not hard to get wrapped up in the romantic aspects of it either, since I’m pretty sure we all imagine dinner for two feasting over large portions of noodles by candlelight and the Italian opera (or Dean Martin).
Or maybe it’s just me and my dreams of a date night alone with my husband and no children. It happens.
However, what if you are histamine intolerant or are trying to do a temporary low-histamine diet as a vegan? Suddenly the beloved Italian dinner can become non-existent, since tomatoes are considered a high histamine food, leaving marinara off the table.
Nope, can’t do eggplant either, since that is also high in histamine. And when we can’t rely on nutritional yeast or dairy-free market cheeses…well, what is there left to do?
Do you know what happened to the vegan who realized his favorite food was off limits?
He was alfredo. *yuk yuk*
In all seriousness though, I’m here to tell you that YES, it’s still possible to achieve that romanticized fantasy (or perhaps just a comfortable night in), and it doesn’t have to take you much time either! In just 15 minutes you can have yourself the perfect Italian dinner that is not only gluten-free and vegan, but sits well with your system so you don’t feel heavy (or have reactions!) afterwards.
I love this meal because it’s:
- 100% meat-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, + low-histamine.
- Quick + easy, taking you only 15 minutes from start to finish.
- Customizable for a variety of diets- add veggies of your choice or tweak the sauce to suit your tastes (see below for details).
Allergy-Info & Substitutions
- This recipe is 100% vegan, meaning it is meat-free, dairy-free, and egg-free. It is also naturally nut-free, gluten-free, and low-histamine.
- If you’re sensitive to full-fat/canned coconut milk, you may switch it out for a dairy-free milk of choice, however you may need to thicken it with cornstarch or arrowroot powder.
- Don’t like gluten-free noodles? If you are not gluten-intolerant, switch them out for regular spaghetti noodles OR replace them with zoodles (zucchini spiralized into noodles using a simple spiralizer, found by clicking here).
- Add low-histamine baked veggies on the side, such as yellow or butternut squash, zucchini, or sweet potato.
Extra notes for vegans NOT following a low-histamine diet:
- If you want more of a “cheesy” taste, try adding some nutritional yeast flakes to amp up the flavor.
- Get your sauce “drunk” by adding your favorite cooking wine (or regular wine of your choice).
- Add baked veggies of your choice or top with sliced green olives.
Trust me when I say that I was very happy with the results of this meal! I have been mulling over an easy Italian solution for the past month, and this one was so good my children and I devoured it in one sitting. #winning
I hope you all enjoy this easy weeknight dinner, and if you make the recipe, please let me know your experience by leaving a comment below! Because you know what they say..
“That’s Amore!”
Enjoy this easy vegan Italian weeknight dinner that is free of tomatoes + can be ready in JUST 15 MINUTES! Perfect for vegans with allergies or histamine intolerance.
GF Low-Histamine Vegan Italian Basil Noodles
Ingredients
- 12 oz gluten-free spaghetti noodles I use Ronzoni brand!
- 15 oz full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ C fresh basil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 shallot diced small
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Himalayan pink salt and black pepper for seasoning
Instructions
- Cook gluten-free pasta according to package directions (Ronzoni pasta will cook in exactly 9 minutes).
- Meanwhile, blend coconut milk and basil in a blender (I use a single serving cup on my Ninja). Set aside.
- In a large skillet, saute garlic and shallot in olive oil until soft, about 2 minutes. Add coconut milk/basil mixture, stirring until heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Season with pink salt and black pepper.
- Once noodles are finished cooking, drain pasta and add to sauce, tossing to coat. Comfortably serves 4.
Notes
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Thank you for taking the time to invest in your health and happiness!
Bea
Hi Randi, this looks great, I do have one question: are olives not fermented and wouldn’t that make them high in histamines?
Thanks!
Randi Tisdall
Hi Bea, good question! Extra virgin olive oil is not fermented, and as far as I know, is considered a yes food for LH diets. Here is an article explaining the process of making olive oil, and I hope this helps: How is Olive Oil Made?
Corina Garcia
So is there a different pasta with no spinach? The one you name has spinach which is high histamine ?
Randi Tisdall
Hi Corina! The pasta I mentioned is Ronzoni’s gluten-free spaghetti pasta, which does not contain spinach. You can check it out here (affiliate): Ronzoni Gluten Free Thin Spaghetti 12 oz
Hope this helps!
Faith
I just made this with spiralized zuchini and yellow squash, and it was so delicious! My baby has eczema and since I’m breastfeeding her I need to eat low histamine, which is very hard to do when I already eat vegan and am accustomed to eating tomatoes and avocados every day! Thank you so much for a perfect meal! I’ll be making it a lot these next few weeks.
Randi Tisdall
Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed it Faith!! That’s so wonderful you are breastfeeding your baby while making sure you are getting the right nutrients for you both. Beautiful!
kimmythevegan
Sounds dee-licious! I love a good date night =) Simple, yet awesome and perfect for a grown up (or kiddo friendly!) meal.
Can’t wait to try this out.
Randi Tisdall
Thank you Kimmy!!! So glad to hear from you- it’s been too long!! Hope you have been doing well, sending hugs:)
Tania | Fit Foodie Nutter
Such a great easy recipe there Randi! I love quick meals that can be prepared in little time (I always seem to be in a rush!)and this one is a definite winner! Thank you for sharing x
Randi Tisdall
Thanks Tania! I hope you get to try it!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That sounds like a wonderful weeknight dinner idea!
Randi Tisdall
Thank you Rebecca!
Nicole | What She Ate
15 minute meals are my kinda meals! I had some issues a few years ago and had to go low histamine and it was not fun. Definitely worth it in the long run, but was a struggle a lot of days. Sending all the positive vibes your way to get through it and return to normal. <3 Happy weekend!
Randi Tisdall
Thanks Nicole! Happy to hear you did low-histamine for a while and came out on the other side lol- definitely nice to hear about others experience!
anna
Love this pasta dish Randi! So simple, but oh, so delicious. Basil must be giving it such a lovely, fresh flavour! And I’m lucky enough not to have any food intolerance’s, but it must be hard to avoid some of these foods!
Randi Tisdall
Thanks Anna!! Yes, it can be hard to avoid certain foods, but I’ve learned to work around them for sure!
Mary Ellen | VNutrition
You made me hungry for a big bowl of pasta at 9am!
I’ve been working with some patients that have to do low histamine as well and it can be hard for them. I love that you’re making tasty food that everyone can enjoy!
Randi Tisdall
Thanks Mary Ellen! Yes, it seems to be a common issue that needs to be addressed in food world lol. Your patients are lucky they have someone like you to work with them though! Sending hugs:)
Mari
All the best stuff in one plate: pasta, coconut, basil and garlic 🙂 thank you for this great recipe, it’s on my to do list!
Randi Tisdall
Thank you Mari!
Linda from Veganosity
I would cry if I couldn’t eat tomatoes and eggplant. Nevertheless, I love a creamy pasta sauce and this looks so good!
Randi Tisdall
Lol, yes, it’s definitely a challenge when you can’t have tomatoes and eggplant. But creamy noodles certainly help! Thanks so much for stopping by Linda:)