Zucchini Noodles

There is something life giving about eating food that you know is good for the body, the soul, and the environment. Zucchini noodles fit that category. Dress them with some amazing basil garlic pesto and you can sleep well knowing you have done yourself and the world a service. Check out the recipe below.

Zucchini Noodles with Basil Garlic Pesto

This is one wildly easy and deliciously gorgeous way to skip the gluten. Zucchini Noodles with pesto! Fit for royalty and your household.

Prep Time – 20 mins

Cook Time – 4 mins

Total Time – 24 mins

Servings: 4 people

Cost: $12-$15 TOTAL

Equipment

• vegetable spiralizer
• nut chopper
• blender or food processor
• measuring spoons and cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups, packed fresh basil leaves
• 3 Tbsp pine nuts, walnuts, or sunflower seeds shelled
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice  fresh squeezed
• 3 large cloves garlic fresh
• 3-4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 3-6 Tbsp water cold
• ¼ tsp red flaked pepper optional

Instructions

1. To a food processor or small blender, add the basil, nuts, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and sea salt and 4Tbs water.
2. Scraping down the sides of the blender jar as needed, blend on high until a loose paste forms.
3. Then add 1 Tbsp (15 ml) water at a time until the desired consistency is reached – a thick but pourable sauce.
4. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor, salt for overall flavor, nuts for nuttiness, garlic for bite / zing, or lemon juice for acidity.
5. Serve over parboiled zoodles or other pasta. Add to zoodles or pasta and toss to coat.
6. Garnish with *chopped pine nuts *crushed red pepper flakes (I LOVE chili piquin variety peppers for this because of their smokey flavor) * finely chopped fresh spinach leaves* fresh parsley sprig
7. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Notes

One of the most important things to know about Basil Pesto is NEVER cook it. It is most captivating raw. To have it as a hot dish,  prepare it just before serving. Let is stay room temp and toss it with the thoroughly heated noodles. That way you preserve the crunch of any unchopped pine nuts and the essential nature of the fresh basil remains vibrantly alive.

If you are nut, seed, or oil-free, try cannelini beans instead of the pine nuts, or if you can use seeds, try sunflower seeds. The taste will definitely be different. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor, salt for overall flavor, garlic for bite/zing, or lemon juice for acidity.