Zoodles with a Hemp Seed Spinach Pesto
This is one of our favorite pasta alternatives - zucchini noodles - which offers a healthy option which is skin friendly and waist line friendly! We made a spinach hemp seed pesto as a sauce this time and it' was perfecto! The beauty of this dish is that you can use any of your favorite pasta sauces on the zoodles - kale pesto, a red tomato sauce, a cream sauce or a spinach pesto like we have done here.
This spinach pesto is packed with antioxidants and FaceFood worthy vitamins. With the addition of hemp seeds this pesto is high in protein and full of essential amino acids. Hemp seeds have a nutty taste like pine nuts and is a more budget friendly alternative. The olive oil gives you a ton of inflammation-reducing omega-3’s (which also helps with dry skin). This spinach spread can also be used on toast or as an addition to an omelet or poached eggs.
The challenge during COVID-19 is to keep meals not only interesting but healthy and nutritious. The access to fresh food is sometimes limited because of the difficulty of getting to the grocery store. This dish can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator. You can make the zucchini noodles and wrap them in a paper towel and put them in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can make the kale pesto and put in the refrigerator for over two weeks.
Ingredients
4 large zucchinis
3 cups of chopped spinach (fresh or frozen)
3 cloves of garlic
3/4 cup of hemp seeds (or pine nuts)
1 lemon - zested and juiced
1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (Plant-based option: 1/3 cup of nutritional yeast)
Salt and Pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional - but great if you want to add a kick)
Instructions
Using a spiralizer, turn your zucchini’s into noodles and set aside. TIP: Salt your ‘noodles’ and place them in a colander wrapped in paper towel or a kitchen towel to drain the excess moisture. Squeeze it every so often as you prepare your Pesto. If you don’t have time for this step, you’ll just have a bit more liquid in your sauce pan which is fine!
Wash, dry and tear the spinach. Set aside.
Make the pesto: Peel the garlic and pulse the garlic until minced. Add the prepared spinach, hemp seeds, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Turn on the food processor and mix all the ingredients, when the spinach is mixed in slowly start to add the oil until it reaches the desired consistency, scrapping down the sides as necessary. Taste and add more lemon, salt and pepper if necessary.
Place the zoodles into a large frying pan and sauté until softened. You do not need to add any water to the pan as there is sufficient water in the zucchini itself. Add the pesto and toss until heated and coated. Remove from the heat and add the lemon zest and red pepper flakes and sprinkle with parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast for those following a plant based diet).
Serve immediately.