The long-anticipated spring is here! We got warmer weather, flowers and amazing produce in season, which calls for yummy spring dinner recipes. I like to cook with seasonal ingredients, because it’s a cheap and fun way to consume your veggies. The zucchini noodle (or zoodle) dish has been in the game for quite some time now. They are healthy, low carb *and*super easy to make. Read on for a healthy recipe loaded with spring vegetables and a lemon-y pesto. This is great served by itself, or with some warm garlic bread. It’s okay, we cut the carbs in pasta, right? ;)
Ingredients:
Vegan Pesto:
— handful of basil (roughly 1.5 cup)
— 4 garlic cloves, minced (reserve some for sautéing vegetables)
— 1 cup pine nuts or walnuts
— 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast (sub with parmesan cheese if not vegan)
— 1/4 cup olive oil
— 1/2 cup peas
— juice from 1 lemon
— 2 handfuls of arugula (roughly 3 cups)
Zoodles:
— 3 large zucchini
— 1 bunch asparagus
— salt
— 1 Tablespoon olive oil
— spiral vegetable slicer (I use a Veggetti)
Instructions:
1. Start by spiralizing the zucchini into a large bowl or colander. Sprinkle with salt and set aside — this will help drain out water so your noodles are not mushy.
2. Add all pesto ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Make sure to reserve some minced garlic.
3. Cut asparagus.
4. Place zucchini noodles on a paper towel and blot excess water.
5. Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add olive oil and the rest of minced garlic. Sauté for roughly 30 seconds.
6. Add asparagus and cook for 10 minutes, or until tender.
7. Add zucchini noodles and pesto and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
8. Serve immediately. Leftovers keep well for about 5 days!
Using your spiralizer, make zucchini noodles into bowl or colander. Sprinkle with some salt and set aside.
Place all ingredients for pesto in blender and blend until smooth. Be sure to save some garlic for when you sauté your vegetables.
Your pesto should have this consistency — yummy!
Cut your asparagus and any other vegetables you would like to add. Some cherry tomatoes or summer squash would taste amazing!
Place zoodles on paper towels and blot some excess water.
Add garlic you reserved from the pesto with one tablespoon of olive oil. Let cook for 30 seconds. Add asparagus and sauté for 10 minutes. Mix in zoodles and pesto. Let cook for an additional two minutes.
Voila! You now have yourself a healthy and yummy dinner.
This is the perfect dish to whip up in a pinch.
Look at all the green spring colors! This is the benefit of eating seasonally.
This is low in carbs, so don’t be afraid to indulge!
What are some of your favorite spring vegetables that you would add to this simple dish? Test it out and send us your photos on Instagram using the hashtag #iamcreative.
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