Zoodles with Basil and Avocado Pesto

Laura Hemmington

Zoodles – courgette (zucchini) noodles – with a homemade pesto sauce of basil, avocado and garlic are the perfect answer to your pasta cravings. Full of raw vegetable goodness and perfect for slathering in a lovely fresh sauce, these are a great alternative to spaghetti and won’t leave you with a post-pasta slump.

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Ingredients

2 courgettes (zucchini)
1 carrot
For the sauce:
1 avocado
1 bunch basil
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
10 olives, sliced
4 garlic cloves, roasted
2 tomatoes, roasted
Pinch of chilli powder or smoked paprika

Preparation

You can make the zoodles with a Julienne peeler or a spiraliser.

This recipe is for two people, as a main course.

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Prepare the roasted ingredients first. Slice the tomatoes into eight segments each and arrange on a sheet of parchment paper, on an oven tray. Sprinkle with the chilli flakes or paprika and cook for 25 minutes. Slice the root ends from the garlic cloves (without unpeeling them) and add these to the tomato tray and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool while you prepare the sauce.

2. Zoodle the noodles! This takes about 10 minutes, and I usually do this while the tomatoes are roasting.

3. To make the sauce, blend together the avocado, basil (stalks included), lemon juice and nutritional yeast.

4. Unpeel the garlic cloves, slice them, and combine in a bowl with the zoodles, tomatoes, olives and sauce.

This dish is great served with lemon-chilli sauteed broccoli and roasted chickpeas, which add a lovely crunchy topping.