I made this raw vegan tomato pesto pasta last night for my friends, and it was impeccable. So darn delicious, creamy, and everything you could dream of. My friend Christina had to ask me if this really was a raw vegan dish! And with no hesitation, I replied yes. ;) Who ever said raw vegan food can't be appetizing?! The zucchini noodles a.k.a. "zoodles" are a great way to replace any pasta and it cuts the calories by about 90%.
- 2 oz. of wheat pasta has about 200 calories. - 2 oz. of zoodles has about 20 calories. - So with the zoodles, I can have double the amount and still consume less calories than eating the wheat/gf pasta. Mind-boggling right?
Reasons why I love zoodles: - They're light and refreshing: I find wheat pasta too heavy and filling. - Zoodles are a carb-free answer to pasta. - They can be used in any pasta dish: from lasagna, pad thai, fettuccine alfredo, spaghetti, pho, you name it! - Zoodles are gluten-free and grain-free.
- 2 oz. of wheat pasta has about 200 calories. - 2 oz. of zoodles has about 20 calories. - So with the zoodles, I can have double the amount and still consume less calories than eating the wheat/gf pasta. Mind-boggling right?
Reasons why I love zoodles: - They're light and refreshing: I find wheat pasta too heavy and filling. - Zoodles are a carb-free answer to pasta. - They can be used in any pasta dish: from lasagna, pad thai, fettuccine alfredo, spaghetti, pho, you name it! - Zoodles are gluten-free and grain-free.
YIELDS
4 servings
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 4 medium zucchini
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 1/2 cup raw pine nuts
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 teaspoon pink himalayan salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Directions
1. To make the noodles -- or zoodles -- Spiralize the zucchinis with your spiralizer. Place zoodles in a large bowl and set aside.
2. In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine the basil, pine nuts, avocado, pink Himalayan salt, cayenne pepper, and juice of one lemon. Blend on high for about 1 minute or until creamy and smooth.
3. With a rubber spatula, scrape and pour the sauce onto the zoodles and mix together. Add in the sun-dried tomatoes and cherry tomatoes and mix together once again. Serve and enjoy!
Also by Jessie: Raw Vegan Chocolate Almond Cookies
Related: Raw Vegan Zoodles with Creamy Avocoado Dressing
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Photos: Jessie Brown
