Zucchini pesto 'pasta'
Got a zucchini glut?
Our house sitter complained when we got back from holiday. She’d been swamped by the zucchini we’d said please do pick! Lucky for us, she did keep picking so the plants have carried on in peak productive condition.
If you can keep up with picking the best way to eat your zucchini is small. And straight after harvest. This low carb beauty contains valuable potassium, manganese, and antioxidants and it’s the easiest vege to prepare. They don't need peeling, are soft and easy to grate, quick to cook and great raw. If they do have to go in the fridge, store them in the crisper drawer, ideally in a perforated bag, and leave them unwashed until you are ready to eat them.
Larger zucchini (aka courgettes or marrows) can be grated into lasagne, spaghetti sauce or a chocolate zucchini cake. Find our Chewy Chocolate Zucchini Slice recipe at www.gogardening.co.nz. Small zucchini are delicious sliced thinly and eaten raw. The yellow ones add sunshine colour to a basic salad. Or douse them in pesto for this tasty autumn salad.
Zucchini pesto ‘pasta’
To make the pesto whizz together in a food processor: 2 cups of your favourite soft herbs (we mixed basil and parsley), 1 1/2 cups of good olive oil (the better the oil, the better the pesto will taste, 1 fat glove of garlic, 1/4c grated parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of nuts (nuts are optional and you don’t have to use expensive pine nuts. Walnuts, cashews or roast unsalted peanuts also work well.)
Cut two small zucchini in half lengthways and using a potato peeler or mandolin to make ribbons like fettuccini pasta.
Place about 1/4 cup of pesto in a large bowl, put the sliced zucchini on top and toss till coated.
Leave to marinate for ten to twenty minutes if you can wait!
8-Mar-2017
Zucchini pesto 'pasta'
In the Garden
