Zucchini noodles or ‘zoodles’ are a nutritious, gluten free alternative to pasta!
Ingredients
2 x large zucchinis
2 x Alaskian Salmon fillets (with skin + bones)
2 tablespoons homemade pesto
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt + Pepper
Pesto
1 large bunch basil, leaves only
100g cashew nuts
40g parmesan cheese, cubed
120g extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove (optional)
Vegetable Spiraliser
The one I use is a simple hand held one, which was about $45. You put the zucchini on one end. I choose the end which cuts it into thicker sized noodles. And then simply twist the zucchini over a plate. The noodles will start falling out! Watch out not to go too far to the end and cut your fingers.
Method
If you are making your own pesto, then using a food processor or blender, add your garlic clove and pulse until cut. Then add your remaining ingredients and pulse or blend until your pesto is chopped and combined well. Sometimes it’s nice to leave it a bit chunky.
Make your zucchini noodles using both zucchinis and your spiraliser! The ends of the zucchini which you cannot spiralise (or you’ll cut your fingers off!), I chop up finely and mix through my zucchini noodles.
Season your salmon fillets with a drizzle of oil, salt and pepper. You can also add some chilli for an extra kick. Heat a pan up over medium-high heat with some olive oil. Place the salmon in the pan, skin down first, and cook for about 4 minutes. Then flip the salmon over and cook for another 4-5 minutes on the other side. Cook on each side of the fish, until evenly cooked through to your liking.
If you have thick pieces of salmon, you can finish off by cooking them through in a high oven for another 5-10 minutes. Remove the fish from the pan once cooked to rest.
In the same pan, throw in your zucchini noodles on medium heat to quickly sauté them. Add just 2 tablespoons of your pesto and stir through. Once the zucchini is just tender, remove from the heat.
Serve your noodles into 2 bowls evenly. Then using a fork, flake your salmon fillet into pieces on top of the noodles. If you’ve managed to get some nice crispy salmon skin, you can garnish with this on top.
Serves 2
Chicken variation – simply replace the salmon fillets with 2 x chicken breasts. Steam or poach your chicken and then shred this using a fork, to stir through the zoodles.
This is a fantastic alternative to wheat based noodles or pasta, for anyone looking for a gluten free or more whole-food alternative. Using zucchini noodles is also higher in fibre, nutrients and much better for a main meal if you are aiming for healthy weight loss.
