Zucchini Noodles with Cherry Tomato Marinara

8. Zucchini Noodles with Cherry Tomato Marinara
For those of you who prefer your food raw, swap your noodles for long strands of zucchini – and if you don’t have a spiral slicer, use a vegetable peeler to make zucchini “pappardelle.”

Zucchini sliced with a spiral maker creates long ribbons shaped like angel hair pasta - toss these noodles with our herbed no-cook marinara sauce to create a low-carb, wheat- and gluten-free pasta dish.

Photo: Maya Visnyei

By Ani Phyo

Serves: 4
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 large zucchini, trimmed
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional
• 8 cherry tomatoes, quartered, optional
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, optional

MARINARA SAUCE

• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Medjool date, pitted
• 1/2 tsp ground oregano
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Working one piece at a time, secure zucchini into spiral slicer and turn crank to create angel hair noodles. (NOTE: Always read the directions for your spiral slicer as they vary by brand.) Transfer zucchini noodles to a large bowl and set aside.
2. Prepare marinara sauce: In a blender, combine all marinara ingredients and blend until smooth. Add desired amount of marinara to zucchini noodles and toss to combine. Divide among serving bowls. If desired, garnish with yeast, tomatoes and basil, dividing evenly.

Nutrients per serving (1 cup noodles and 1/4 cup marinara sauce): Calories: 142, Total Fat: 8 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 18 g, Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 11 g, Protein: 5 g, Sodium: 275 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg

Nutritional Bonus: Just 1 cup of these zucchini noodles contain 55% of your DV of molybdenum, a little-known trace mineral that is necessary for your body’s metabolism of carbohydrates 

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SUBSTITUTE:If you don’t have a spiral slicer, you can hand slice zucchini into long strips or use a julienne peeler. Alternatively, you can use kelp noodles (found at natural food stores) or cooked brown rice noodles. Try using 2 12-oz pkgs kelp noodles, rinsed and drained, or 7 oz brown rice pasta of your choice, cooked
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