For as long as I can remember, my family has spent our summers in the Hamptons. In fact, this tradition far predates me. My parents met in a summer share house in the East Hampton Springs many years ago. As a child, I have memories of packing up our car and trading in the steamy streets of Manhattan for the unique Hampton mix of beach and farmland. My Hamptons is much less about the social scene and much more about long, casual dinners with friends, trips to the beach with my husband and dog at sunset, and infinite visits to farm stands peddling delicious local produce. Nothing feels more like summer than zucchini, tomatoes, and basil bought by the side of the road.
This zucchini pasta dish is perfect for an alfresco dinner on a warm summer night. The sauce is so creamy, it's hard to believe it doesn't contain even a drop of dairy. Summer squash is an incredibly light and refreshing substitute for traditional pasta that won’t leave you feeling heavy and tired after eating it.
Zucchini Pasta with Creamy Basil Sauce
Serves 2
FOR THE PASTA
2 medium zuchinni
1 cup cherry, grape or baby heirloom tomatoes halved
1 avocado
FOR THE SAUCE
½ cup basil
2 cloves garlic sliced
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional*
¼ cup water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
*Nutritional yeast can be found in most health food stores.
1. Using a julienne or vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini into “noodles” and set aside.
2. In a Vitamix or high-speed blender combine basil and lemon juice until basil is thoroughly ground.
3. Add the avocado, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, water, and sea salt and blend until smooth and creamy.
4. Toss the zucchini noodles with the sauce until thoroughly coated.
5. Top with sliced cherry tomatoes and a few basil leaves and serve immediately.
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After countless hours developing healthy recipes in her own kitchen and sharing them with friends around the world Sara Mercer realized that all people needed were the right tools, simple steps to follow and easy, quick recipes. Her mission was to educate and to simplify and thus the clean, pure, and simple way of life was born. Visit her blog for more tips and recipes.
From: Whole Living Daily | Sara Jane Mercer | 8/14/12 at 1:25 pm
[...] will be contributing regular Meatless Monday recipe ideas to the site starting with this Zucchini Pasta with Creamy Basil Sauce. This dish is perfect for summer outdoor entertaining. Nothing says summer to me more than [...]
From: Zucchini Pasta « Dancing for Food | 8/28/12 at 12:33 am
[...] we (and by we I mean Mat) made this zucchini pasta. It. Was. [...]
From: Heather | 8/30/12 at 10:41 am
about this zucchini pasta w/ creamy basil sauce; is it served cold? it seems that way, but I was hoping to eat it warm. can I drop the zucchini noodles in hot water and heat the sauce a little?
From: Heather | 8/30/12 at 4:06 pm
I just made this and I made it hot. It needs something else to along with it cause I'm still hungry! I have a good appetite. It was delicious, cooked.