Pasta la vista wheat noodles. There’s a new, much lighter, more summery, awesome-sauce pasta in town. And it goes by the name of Zucchini Noodles.
Today, I’m sending a hello to the early August garden. With it is coming a hello to noodles in my bowl that allow me to go in for seconds, maybe even thirds, without feeling weighed or wheated down.
The zucchini noodle is one that’s taken the Internet world by a rage, and I’m coming with it –and for good reason, too.
Similar to my coconut flake mission I described for this recipe, my mission for finding a julienne peeler to make these noodles was not a short one. Many steps were taken, and many stores were visited for the making of this recipe. Fortunately, no humans were harmed, even after a slight hangryness set in.
Apparently in Philadelphia, kitchen stores like to take off the very same days that this girl likes to create a big, food-filled mess in the kitchen. So on Sunday, off I went by foot to three different places across the city until I finally came across the right peeler to craft this recipe. Well worth it, I assure you.
I also assure you it shouldn’t be that hard to find the tool you need for zucchini noodles, nor will it be expensive. Most kitchen stores have julienne peelers, which do the trick, and mine cost me just $8. You can also use a tool called a Spiralizer, but don’t ask me about the specifics. I chose to go for the cheaper and smaller option, i.e., the peeler.
You should find the julienne peeler rather easy to use. Simply place your zucchini on a flat surface, and slide its blade from one end to the other. Repeat until you get down to the end.
I placed my leftover zucchini scraps that didn’t make it through the peeler right into the blender to make my avocado cream. Just give them a quick chop, and they should easily meld into the cream.
With a bowl full of the whole summer garden – sweet corn, juicy tomatoes, fresh herbs – this is a good place to start the zucchini noodle marathon that’s bound to follow. Here, you get a whole bunch of fresh ingredients to keep things light, but also a richness from the avocado that pulls it all together. For presentation purposes, keep it all separate like pictured below. But you’ll definitely want to give everything a good mixing with your fork before diving in. Let me know what you think!
Ingredients
- For the pasta
- -Extra virgin olive oil
- -3 medium zucchinis, shaved into noodles with a julienne peeler
- -6 cloves garlic
- -2 ears of corn, sliced from the cob
- -1 large tomato (or 2 sm/med.), chopped
- -2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
- -1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
- -1/2 - 1 Tbsp. red chili pepper flakes, to spice preference
- -Salt, to taste
- Optional toppings: Toasted walnuts, shaved Parm.
- For the avocado cream:
- 1/2 lg. lime, juiced
- 1 large avocado, peeled and pit removed
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
- Salt, generous pinch
Instructions
- Use a julienne peeler to turn the zucchini into noodles, and set a side in a large bowl. Keep any leftover scraps and chop into small pieces. You can throw this into the avocado cream.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high. Add garlic, and saute until edges begin to brown. Stir in corn, tomatoes, basil, oregano and chili pepper flakes. Generously sprinkle salt around the pan. Bring ingredients to temperature, then reduce heat to medium. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until corn and tomatoes are tender. Remove from heat.
- In a food processor or blender, add avocado ingredients and any remaining zucchini scraps. Puree until smooth, using a spatula to help coax the process, and adding more olive oil a little at a time, as needed.
- Lightly toss the zucchini noodles with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spoon sauce on top, followed by a large scoop of the avocado cream. Serve, adding any optional toppings, if using.