Zucchini Noodles with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

This is the perfect warm weather ‘pasta’ recipe!  The simple sauce is sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic. I served mine over zoodles (zucchini noodles), but you can also use traditional pasta. Bonus: the sauce doesn’t even require cooking…just blend, toss, and serve!

If you are using traditional pasta, cook according to package instructions.  For “Zoodles”: Use your spiralizer to slice zucchini into pasta ribbons.

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat, add the noodles, and saute for 3-5 minutes.

Remove from heat.  The zoodles will release water while they cook.  Make sure to drain them well.

For the sauce, add sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, and *olive oil to a food processor or blender.

I opted for vegan Parmesan cheese, but traditional is great too!

*If your sun-dried tomatoes are stored in oil, just omit the olive oil.  Mine were dry.

Puree to a pesto-like consistency.

Return the drained zoodles to the large skill and add the tomato sauce.  Toss to coat and season with salt, pepper, and additional Parmesan cheese.  Garnish with additional fresh basil and enjoy!

Ingredients:

Zucchini Noodles:
4-5 zucchini
1 T olive oil

Tomato Sauce:

3 ounces (~1 cup) sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup fresh tomatoes (cherry or campari); halved
1-2 T olive oil*
1 cup fresh basil + more for serving
4 garlic cloves
2 T Parmesan Cheese + more for serving (I used a vegan Parmesan.)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Zucchini Noodles:
Using your spiralizer, slice zucchini into long noodles or ribbons.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add “noodles” to skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes until they are slightly softened.  You can skip this step altogether and see the “noodles” raw as well!
Zucchini will release liquids, so when your zoodles are done cooking, drain well.

Tomato Sauce:
Add sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, olive oil, basil, garlic and 2 Tbsp vegan parmesan cheese to a food processor or high-speed blender and puree into a pesto-like consistency.
If it has trouble mixing, add a bit more olive oil to help encourage it along. It doesn’t need to be finely pureed, just well mixed. I think a bit of texture is a good thing in this dish.
Add drained zoodles back to the skillet you cooked it in and add tomato sauce. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper and vegan parmesan.
Serve warm with additional fresh basil and vegan parmesan cheese. Store covered in the fridge for up to a few days, though best when fresh.
This can be enjoyed hot, sightly chilled or at room temperature, making it ideal for picnics and take-along lunches!
NOTES
*If your sun-dried tomatoes are in oil, omit the extra olive oil.

Recipe adapted from: Minimalist Baker

Related Recipes:

Pasta Fagioli

Vegetable Zoodle Stir-Fry

The Friday Five

1.  Essie Luxeffects in Rock at the Top.  I love the gold sparkle on my nails!

2.  Nashville native, Reese Witherspoon has started a new lifestyle brand, Draper James.

3.  GEFU Spiralizer.  I LOVE making zoodles (zucchini noodles)!

4.  Coola Mineral Sunscreen and BB Cream.  I don’t wear foundation, but love this sunscreen with a hint of coverage from Coola.

5.  We lovingly refer to Whole Foods as ‘Whole Paycheck’ in our house.  In an effort to make healthy, organic food more accessible, Whole Foods is opening a separate chain of lower-priced stores aimed at Millennials. CLICK HERE to read the full article from USA Today.

Happy Friday and CHOOSE JOY!

Vegetable Zoodle Stir-Fry

I LOVE this recipe!! If you don’t already have a Spiralizer, it’s worth buying one. They’re inexpensive and they make it so easy to make zucchini noodles…or Zoodles. This stir-fry has roasted vegetables and zoodles tossed in an easy sesame vinaigrette. It’s easy to add the protein of your choice, but I think it’s pretty perfect with veggies.

Here are your ingredients:

Start by chopping the broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms.   Toss with olive oil and spread into an even layer on a baking sheet.  Bake in a 450 degree for 15 minutes.  Watch closely, so they don’t burn.

Using your handy dandy Spiralizer, slice your zucchini into “pasta” ribbons.  They make more elaborate spiralizers, but my little handheld works really well:)

This was from 4 zucchinis.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat, add the zoodles, and saute for 3-4 minutes.

While that’s cooking, make your sesame vinaigrette by whisking the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha sauce, peanut butter, minced garlic, and sesame oil.  Set aside.

Your zucchini noodles will release water while cooking.  Once they are done cooking, make sure to drain them.

All that’s left is assembly.  Combine the roasted vegetables with the zoodles and toss with the sesame vinaigrette.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve!

Ingredients:

Vegetables for roasting:
2 crowns of broccoli; cut into florets
2 carrots; chopped into bite size pieces
8 ounces mushrooms; quartered (I used baby bellas.)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Sesame dressing:
¼ cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp Rice vinegar
1-2 tsp Sriracha Sauce
1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp sesame oil

Zoodles
4-5 medium zucchini (I used 4.)
1 Tbsp olive oil
*optional 2 Tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Chop the broccoli, carrots and mushrooms. Toss with 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, but make sure to watch them closely.

Whisk all the ingredients for your dressing together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Using your Spiralizer, prepare zucchini into long noodles or ribbons.

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add “zoodles” to skillet and saute for 3-4 minutes until they are slightly softened. You can skip this step altogether and serve the “zoodles” raw as well!

Zucchini will release liquids, so when your “zoodles” are done cooking to the desired amount, drain before tossing with marinade.

Add the roasted vegetables onto the zoodles.

Toss with marinade and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve warm or cold.

Recipe adapted from: Cookies and Cups