One of my favorite go-to “pasta” recipes. It is raw, plant-based, full of nutrients and yummy! I think we are all trying to be a bit more carb conscious. Though I am an avid carb lover, I try to pick and choose, white flour pasta is not usually in the list anymore (every once in a while though!). You can make this recipe as is or use the zucchini method for pretty much any sauce, works especially well with a warm sauce as it will wilt the “pasta” just enough. If you are trying to sell it to fussy kids; peel off the dark green part of the zucchini, they will never know what hit em!
The sauce itself is divine just on a spoon!
Zucchini Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce
Ingredients:
“Pasta”~
4 large zucchini, ends trimmed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
a few pinches of dried oregano
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Sauce~
1 ½ cups sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1/2 cup raw cashews
4 medium pitted dates
(Place all 3 in a jar together and soak at least 4 hours or overnight
3 medium cloves garlic
1 ½ cup tomatoes, quartered
A good handful basil leaves
1 Tablespoon lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Makes about 4 servings
Directions:
Julienne the zucchini lengthwise on a mandolin or with a julienne peeler until you get to the core. Save the core for another use or just eat raw. Watch my Mandolin 101 video for a full demo!
Place the zucchini into a bowl with the lemon juice, oil, oregano and garlic and toss well. Set aside to marinate; do not use any salt yet.
Drain the jar of soaked items and then place into a food processor and pulse until well broken down. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and blend well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary; may need a bit more lemon juice depending on how sweet the sun dried tomatoes are.
Lightly salt the zucchini and toss well. Pile onto a large platter or plate individually and top with the sauce. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil if desired. Be sure not to salt the zucchini too far in advance as the liquid will drain out and make the “pasta” watery.
Tips & Notes~
Add some capers or chopped green or kalamata olives to the sauce after it’s blended.
This sauce also works well over whole wheat or quinoa pasta or as a pizza sauce.
