Heaps of saucy veggie noodles make for a satisfying summer dish. This no-boil “pasta” meal is light and refreshing, and offers a slew of nutritional benefits. It’s not great served as leftovers, so only toss the amount of veggies with hemp sauce that you are going to serve at once. The sauce and spiralized zucchini, however, can be prepared ahead of time.
3 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
1 red or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 cups (750 mL) thinly sliced spinach
1/3 cup (80 mL) hempseeds (hemp hearts)
3/4 cup (180 mL) unsweetened plain nondairy milk
3 Tbsp (45 mL) nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp (30 mL) fresh oregano or 1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano
1/2 tsp (2 mL) garlic powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) onion powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp (1 mL) sea salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper
1/3 cup (80 mL) sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup (125 mL) sliced fresh basil
Use spiralizer to cut zucchini into noodlelike strands. Alternatively, use serrated vegetable peeler to shave zucchini into ribbonlike noodles. In large bowl, toss together zucchini noodles, bell pepper, and spinach.
In blender container, place hemp hearts and nondairy milk and let soak for 30 minutes. Blend until smooth. Add nutritional yeast, lemon juice, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper; blend until everything is mixed well.
Add hemp sauce to vegetables and toss to coat. Toss in sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Divide among serving plates or bowls.
Serves 4
Oodles of noodles
A spiralizer is a perfect tool for turning veggies such as zucchini, beets, and broccoli stalks into raw noodles. If you don’t have one, a serrated vegetable peeler can also be used to create thin strips of zucchini for this dish.
By Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD
