Zucchini Pesto Pasta is great because it…
Promotes healthy digestion
Zucchini is high in water content making it an easily digestible raw food and an awesome, light substitute for pasta.
Plus, the saltanas are packed full of fibre for regularity.
Nutritional yeast is packed full of B12 a mineral essential for gut health as well as a tasty cheese substitute.
Now don’t be put off….there is raw garlic in this recipe. The perfect amount is a great way to add bite without blowing your head off 😛 Besides raw garlic is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G for the gut. It’s a prebiotic – food for your good bacteria and will boost your immune system.
And the chickpeas! Packed full of zinc – YAY! Most people with inflammatory gut problems are deficient in zinc – an essential mineral to heal the gut and therefore most skin conditions. Chickpeas are one of the highest zinc content foods – so get on it.
It’ll make you glow from the inside out.
The avocado in the pesto not only makes it sooo creamy and tasty, it helps you balance your weight ( to gain or lose weight depending on what you need), and also helps combat hormonal acne.
And of course, being a pesto pasta, this recipe has a bucket load of basil! Packed full of anti-inflammatory compounds (promoting even skin tone), and antioxidants that protect the skin from toxicity (aka anti ageing) all the while helping you to balance the gut flora with it’s natural anti-fungal and antimicrobial properties.
Ah…the power of plants!
This recipe is so quick, easy, customisable and totally nourishing for your body – nom nom, enjoy!
Zucchini Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 CAN chickpeas (water and all)
- 1 medium Avocado
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon (large)
- 1 garlic clove
- Fresh basil (2/3 bunch)
- Spinach (a small handful)
- Salt / pepper
- 3 Tbsp tahini
- Optional (1/4 cup nutritional yeast)
- Drizzle of virgin olive oil
- ——————————————
- 2 Zucchinis (Medium to large)
- 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
- Saltanas
Instructions
1. Put all ingredients (above the line) into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Spiralize your zucchinis into zoodle-noodles [I use the brand Inspiralized], or you can julienne your zucchini’s really thin.
3. Put your zoodles into a big bowl and pour the pesto sauce onto them, then mix the sauce through until evenly covered.
4. Portion into bowls.
5. Chop your cherry tomatoes into halves and place them on top of your zucchini pesto pasta, then add saltanas, salt and pepper.
6. Bask in the simplicity, and eat it deliciously!
*Toppings to taste: For the littlies I add a small drizzle of maple syrup. 😉 The sauce is a beautiful baseline, but some like it tangier (top with more lemon juice), some like it nuttier (top with tahini), some like it cheesier (top with more nutritional yeast) and some like it sweeter (just add maple syrup). Tailor it to you!
Notes
*I substituted saltanas for chopped up medjool dates as you’ll see in the pictures. This works, but the saltanas work even better. They spread evenly throughout the pasta, so you get beautiful sweet treats with each bite.
You’ll be surprised how filling this is. Essentially a salad meal, but totally fulfilling. You won’t be left hungry.
“Delicious to the last drop,” said my carnivore taste tester. 😉
Let me know in the comments below if you tried it, and how you liked it. I’m curious, do you like it tangy, nutty or as a sweet treat?
xx Jess