Zoodles: The new way to pasta!

Hello Gourmanda readers!

I am officially back and cracking my knuckles in preparation for a posting spree to make up for time lost while at camp!

For now I want to tell you all about the amazingly delicious recipe that I made last night using a combination of three recipes from three different resources all while accommodating three different tastes/diets!  I will call it Tomato and Almond Pesto Zoodles with Paleo Meatballs! 

Now before I give you the recipe, a quick explanation of "Zoodles." Zoodles are zucchini noodles made using a spiralizer. Many people following the Paleo or Raw Vegan diets opt to make this veggie pasta as a substitute for the real stuff, and claim that it tastes very similar! What makes zucchini a good substitute for pasta made from flour is that it has a similar look and texture and an almost bland taste that can be manipulated with ease using various sauces and spices.

After placing platters of this dish in front of my family of four, floating above the table were exclamations of "Ooh!" "Yum!" "This is delicious!" My father recently started to follow the paleo diet and he testified, "That was one of the best meals I have ever had! And I've eaten a lot of meals!"

I hope you enjoy this recipe and check out my girl "Fully Raw Kristina's" Youtube channel for more videos and recipes for zoodles.

Tomato and Almond Pesto Zoodles with Paleo Meatballs

Zoodle Ingredients and Equipment:

4 zucchini 8-10"long

A Spiralizer (I have one from Paderno)

Place the strands of zucchini in a colander. Toss with salt and let sit for 20-30 minutes. Rinse with running water, drain well, and pat dry with paper towels. 

Tomato Almond Pesto Ingredients and Equipment:

5 or 1.5 lbs plum tomatoes, halved
1 cup plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup almonds, toasted
1 clove garlic, chopped

1 cup of lightly packed basil

1/2 cup of almonds
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese*

Food Processor (I used one from Ninja)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the tomatoes cut side up on a baking sheet and drizzle with two teaspoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake for one hour. Let cool to room temperature. Place the almonds and garlic into food processor. Pulse 3-4 times to roughly chop. Add the basil and pulse another 3-4 times. add the tomatoes and the remaining cup of olive oil and pulse until the tomatoes have broken down but some small chunks remain. The peso should retain a bit of texture. Stir in the Parmesan* and salt to taste.

Paleo Pesto Meatballs Ingredients and Equipment:

2½ pounds pastured lean ground beef or turkey

½ cup almond flour

1 large egg

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

¾ cup Tomato Almond Pesto

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground meat with almond flour, egg, salt and pesto. 
2. Roll the mixture into (golfball-sized) balls and place them in a pan

3. Cook each meatball until the sides are evenly browned

FINAL STEP: Combine zoodles, pesto, and meatballs in pot and let simmer for 1-2 minutes. 

serves 4 people

More yumminess to come!
Gourmanda

*Note: do not use Parmesan for Paleo dieters. 

Resources: theclothesmakethegirl.com "Basic Zucchini Noodles", Edible Vineyard Issue 22 "Pesto", everydaymaven.com