Jennie Geisler: Spelt Pasta helps reduce the gluten

It won't take you much time in a supermarket to figure out gluten has become the nutrient non grata du jour.

Only 1 percent of Americans suffer from celiac disease, which means their intestines cannot digest the protein found in wheat, rye and barley.

For them, ingesting these grains causes a nightmarish combination of reactions that are enough to make an Italian give up pasta. Doctors can do tests to determine whether someone has celiac disease.

In recent years, awareness of the disease has grown, and many people have tried to cut back on gluten to see if they feel any better without it. Some say they do, though their celiac tests are negative.

Some scientists call their condition "gluten sensitivity" and say the condition might affect up to 8 percent of the population.

Trouble is there's no test for gluten sensitivity, and other experts blame these people's symptoms on other causes.

Either way, awareness of celiac disease and the debate over gluten sensitivity has brought attention to some previously underappreciated foods. Take spelt, for example, the basis for a delicious meatless dish, Spelt Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Feta.

Four things I learned:

1. Spelt is a grain that's related to wheat. It's not technically gluten-free and is off limits for true celiacs, but people who complain of gluten sensitivity can often tolerate spelt.

Everyone can appreciate spelt for its nutrition profile: It packs more protein than wheat, as well as more B vitamins.

2. I couldn't find spelt pasta in supermarkets, but it was at the health food store. It's kind of expensive. I paid $4 for 0.8 pound. They only had regular thin spaghetti, not the "ribbons" mentioned in Martha Stewart Living. No matter.

Fact is, the spelt pasta didn't taste much different from whole-wheat pasta, so if you don't want to make a special trip or plunk down extra cash, this recipe also works well with any shape whole-wheat pasta.

3. While spelt is sexy these days, the real stars in this dish are the roasted tomatoes and caramelized red onions. Of course, those both take a while. You can cook all the components at the same time, though. Just turn the onions every few minutes to make sure they're not burning.

4. Roasting tomatoes is a good way to coax more flavor out of those tough, meaty winter varieties. I made this twice, once with grape tomatoes and once with those ones sold on the vine. Both delicious.
