Raw Zoodles with Creamy Pine Nut Butter Pesto (vegan, paleo!)

If you're all about that plant-based, gluten-free life and haven't yet discovered zoodles, you're in for a real treat.

While they may seem fancy upon first glance, zucchini noodles - also known as “zoodles” - are actually one of the easiest things to make. All you need is zucchini (or yellow summer squash!) and a handy dandy spiralizer and you're good to go. Simply wash the zucchini, cut off both ends, cut in half crosswise, and then spiralize it. Voila! Fresh zucchini noodles - no cooking required. If you don't have a spiralizer worry not, you can also use a mandoline slicer or even a basic vegetable peeler to create thin ribbons for linguine style noodles.

Now that you have your zoodles prepped you have plenty of options. You can keep them raw, or lightly saute them on a skillet over medium heat for a minute or two to soften. The serving options are also diverse. You can go traditional with a red spaghetti sauce or marinara, keep it ultra-simple and serve with a drizzle of cold-pressed olive oil, salt, and pepper, or go with a refreshing pesto - like this recipe here!

This pesto is packed full of delicious vibrant flavor from basil, garlic, walnuts and pine nuts. Instead of using whole pine nuts, we utilized our Dastony wild pine nut butter which is impossibly creamy and decadent. Because this butter is rich with natural oils, it also means you can easily leave out the olive oil. Served with avocado and sweet cherry tomatoes, this is the perfect easy recipe for a late summer lunch or dinner.

The Recipe

Vegan Zoodles with Creamy Pine Nut Butter Pesto

Makes roughly 8 oz of pesto 

Ingredients

1⁄2 cup raw walnuts

1⁄4 cup Dastony wild pine nut butter

2 cups fresh basil (packed)

1 small lemon, juiced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tsp nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp black pepper

1⁄4 tsp Himalayan sea salt

Zoodles

4 medium-sized zucchini  - spiralized

Steps 

1. Prep your zucchini by washing, cutting off both ends, then slicing in half crosswise, then spiralizing. Saute if desired, or keep raw. 

2. In a food processor, combine pesto ingredients until the desired texture is achieved - you want it to be nice and creamy but not overly processed. You can also use a blender, but you'll need to stop the blades and scrape the sides often. 

3. Combine pesto with noodles in a large bowl and toss to thoroughly coat each noodle. Enjoy!