Zoodles and Pesto

Moderate

Servings: 4

Prep: 20 minutes

Summary

Summary: XXXX

We all love pasta, an inexpensive, easy-to-make comfort food that takes on the flavor of whatever sauce you add to it.

But most pastas, especially the low-cost ones, are made from refined grains that are stripped of nutrients and so quick to digest that you'll be hungry an hour later.

Your body will thank you when you switch from high-glycemic flour noodles to fresh vegetable zucchini noodles, or "zoodles."

Spiralizer gadgets are widely available, but if you don't have one, you can make zoodle ribbons easily with a vegetable peeler.

Zoodles go great with your favorite pasta sauce. Try them with purchased pesto or make an easy basil pesto or a creamy avocado mint pesto.

Reprinted with permission from Earth Fare.

Ingredients

Ingredients: XXXX

For the zoodles: 3 medium zucchini, spiralized or julienned

4 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Hemp seeds, for garnish (optional)

For the pesto: 1 shallot, peeled

2 garlic cloves, peeled

½ cup cashews, soaked in water overnight or in hot water for an hour, drained

2 cups basil, packed

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup water

Preparation

Preparation: XXXX

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Toss the tomatoes with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and spread evenly on a large baking sheet. Roast 40 minutes until slightly shriveled and some of the juices are released.
While the tomatoes are roasting, make the pesto. Place the shallot and garlic in the food processor and pulse until finely minced. Add the cashews, basil, nutritional yeast and olive oil and blend until creamy. Season with salt and black pepper.
Toss zucchini noodles with tomatoes and pesto (or your favorite sauce) and serve garnished with hemp seeds.