Who doesn’t love a full plate of pasta Bolognese or Carbonara? We know, they’re simple delish! But let’s just take a moment to go over what happens in your body when you eat it. For one, pasta is carb and are not gluten free which can only mean one thing: blocked guts! Combined with the creamy toppings, high in calories and cholesterol, it leads to fatigue and bloating, and that’s a complete no-no.
Maybe switch it up to a friendlier alternative: zucchini noodles. It sounds fancy and high-end, but in reality, it is one of the simplest dishes you can make in almost no time!
Zucchinis are one of the low calorie vegetables. Cousins to cucumbers, they are a great source of antioxidants and potassium. Moreover, they contain absolutely no saturated fats or cholesterol, they help reduce constipation and offer great protection against colon cancer. Who needs heavy pasta when you can have fresh, savoury zucchini?
How to make zucchini noodles:
You will need:
- 4 large zucchinis
- salt
- potato peeler, sharp knife
Peeling off the zucchini is optional. The peel has a lot of fiber, but peeling it off will create a bigger resemblance to actual pasta.
Use a potato peeler and cut thin vertical slices. When you reach the seeds, turn it over and start from the other side. This will prevent your zucchini crumbling down. You now have a pile of long, wide slices. They look great, don’t they?
Turning them into noodles is really simple. Lay stack of already sliced zucchini and using a very sharp knife, cut half a cm wide slices. You now have your noodles. Salt to taste and let them soak in ice cold water while you prepare the topping.
Topping:
You will need:
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- half a cup pine seeds
- 1 cup fresh basil
In a saucepan, add canola oil, your cherry tomatoes cut in half and fresh basil and stir together until the tomatoes are slightly moist. Add your noodles and stir for 2 minutes so the flavours can really kick in.
Add water so it covers your mix and bring to boil. Simmer down and cook for another 5 minutes. Drain. Sprinkle pine seeds and serve.
Tip: keep an eye on your noodles. If they start breaking apart, it means you need to stop the cooking process.
Serve hot.
Tip: For summertime, pre boil the noodles and let cool. Cook your topping vegetables as above and mix with the cold noodles. Let cool and serve cold, perfect for a hot summer day.