I am a total “Erewhon Junkie” and they make this delicious zucchini noodle (aka “Zoodles”) dish that my client wanted me to re-create for her.
So, I did because that is what I do best!
Many “Zoodles” recipes are lightly cooked, but I found that when you do cook them, they turn watery and become a pile of limp noodle mush.
So, I kept the Zoodles raw and found that by tossing them really well with the pesto, that they became soft as they absorb the vinegar and oil.
My pesto recipe uses hazelnuts, but you can use any type of nut or seed. Hemp seeds, cashews or pine nuts work really well.
If you want to go in an Asian direction, feel free to use organic, non-GMO peanuts instead of hazelnuts, cilantro instead of parsley and a squirt of Sriracha in the pesto to give this recipe a nice kick! You can also sub out the tomatoes for shitake mushrooms!
RAW “Zoodles” Zucchini Noodles with Hazelnut Pesto
Make Time: 20-30 minutes
Serves 6
Ingredients:
½ Cup Hazelnuts, toasted
1/3 Cup Tahini
½ Cup Basil
½ Cup Flat leaf parsley
1/3 Cup Cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
1/3 Cup Seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 Teaspoon Salt
White pepper, to taste
Pasta:
6 Zucchinis
½ Cup Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
Pine nuts to sprinkle over zoodles, optional.
Directions:
Place all Pesto ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside. The pesto will be a bit thick. Keep it that way.
Place zucchinis in the “pasta maker.” You can also use a mandolin or julienne peeler.
Using tongs, toss Zoodles and pesto in a bowl. If you are having a hard time working the pesto into the Zoodles, use your hands. You can also add a little water or vinegar to thin out the pesto. Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Top with pine nuts.
Place in refrigerator.
Served chilled or at room temp.
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