As many of you following a paleo diet can relate to (and as this Italian-raised girl often blogs about) the old pasta dish is one of the most commonly missed dishes in my home. I grew up on homemade pasta dishes covered in homemade sauces, used as a base for lasagna and nestled in between fresh mozz and ricotta cheeses as a baked ziti. So when I found out I had to give up pasta, I felt sad and a bit scared; scared of never enjoying my old favorites again.
And it didn’t take long for me to hop online searching for an alternative pasta once I went paleo and kicked out all grains for good. Soon I discovered many posts about “zuchinni pasta”. Sliced lengthwise, about one-eighth-inch thick (which you can also do it with a sharp knife, but it’s easier with a mandoline), zucchini ribbons can stand in for regular pasta. (Steam them for a couple of minutes until they’re crisp-tender.)
So when we ran across this paleo, dairy free ‘pasta’ dish on All Against the Grain, we were so excited to give it a test as it meets not only our gluten free, but our paleo needs too. And as Danielle who writes All Against the Grain often does, she was inspired by a similar recipe she found online and tweaked it a bit for her own tastes.
The version we made at home was slightly different, so you can read her original post here and below for our modified version.
This tasty little treat is not only grain free, but it’s dairy free as well, and with a quick omission of the prosciutto, it’s vegan friendly too. How perfectly balanced is that? Food and health in harmony; life is good 🙂
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini, peeled and sliced into thin noodles
- 1 cup asparagus pieces
- 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 cup fresh chopped mushrooms
- 4 cups boiling water
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- dash of pepper
- Garnish with toasted pine nuts and fresh basil
Instructions
- Steam or pre-boil the zucchini slices until they're slightly tender (about 3-4 minutes)
- Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan
- Mince cloves of garlic and add zucchini, asparagus and mushrooms together over medium heat until the zucchini softens but isn't mushy.
- Add tomatoes and remove from heat.
- Garnish with toasted pine nuts and fresh basil.
Notes
Alternate options include:
2 ounces prosciutto (omit for vegan and add 1/4 teaspoon salt)
1/2 cup frozen peas (omit if you’d like for Paleo)
3.1
http://inspiredeats.net/dairy-and-grain-free-creamy-pesto-pasta-with-spring-vegetables/ Paleo creamy pesto zucchini “pasta”
