Zucchini Pasta with Basil Pesto

There's no need to miss out on spaghetti with the family if you're eating gluten free. This dish has slurpability down to a tee. Using zucchini makes it a wonderfully light, healthy meal and a great alternative to traditional pasta for those on an alternative diet. No like zucchini? This dish will change your mind.

The humble zucchini has a myriad of uses and can be pickled, baked, stir fried, mashed, stewed and frittered and included in a range of recipes from savoury appetizers to nutritious breads and fragrantly light cakes and desserts. The heavenly garden fresh flowers can also be eaten and stuffed with delicious fillings.

No longer just another layer in vegetarian lasagne or a fill-in for chunky ratatouille, zucchini has its own unique style and health benefits. Beautifully tender, and delicately fresh, zucchinis are part of the cucurbit family, closely related to cucumbers, watermelon and gherkins. Or pickles as they are known in the antipodes.

Fibre and vitamin rich, zucchinis are an excellent source of Vitamin A, C, K and beta-carotene, manganese, folate, potassium and copper and as they have a high water content, can be a great way to stay trim.

When shopping for zucchinis be on the lookout for the smaller varieties which have abundantly more flavour. They should be firm to the touch and heavy with a salon fresh shiny skin and no blemishes. You can keep store bought zuccas in the vegie crisper part of the fridge for up to 5 days and freshly-harvested zucchini may last for up to two weeks. Remember to wash the squash just before you use it and cut off the ends.

Now lets get down to business.

Serves 2

Pasta Ingredients

• 4 small zucchini
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• ½ lemon squeezed
• pinch celtic sea salt

Dressing Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cashew nuts
• 2 oven roasted garlic cloves
• ¼ avocado
• 2 TBS nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/4 cup freshly picked basil leaves plus extra for garnish
• 1 lemon freshly squeezed
• 4 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 TBS filtered water
• ½ small tomato
• ½ tsp celtic sea salt
• freshly grinded black pepper to taste

The How To:

• Chop celery and set aside
• Wash zucchinis and using a vegetable spiralizer, spiralize zucchini into bowl
• 

  Vegetable Spiralizer

• Pour over freshly squeezed lemon juice and add a pinch of salt then add celery and set aside
• Place all dressing ingredients in a food processor and mix until combined.  For a  lighter dressing more water can be added and for a creamier dressing, more avocado can be used
• In wide mouthed bowls place pasta, then drizzle dressing over the top
• Garnish with freshly picked basil leaves