Zoodles with Roasted Whole Tomatoes & Pesto


- 5 large zucchini
- Sea salt
- 1 jar of high quality pesto
- 1 pound vine-ripened tomatoes, stems attached
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, as needed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 cup basil, julienned
- 3/4 cup shaved Parmesan Pinch of red pepper flakes Fresh lemon zest, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Using a spiraliser, slice the zucchini into noodles. Lay the zucchini “noodles” on a dish towel and sprinkle them with sea salt; let them sweat for about 20 minutes, then blot and gently squeeze out the excess water with the dish towel.
- Keeping stems attached, rub the tomatoes with a thin coat of oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Roast them on a rimmed baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes until they just begin to collapse.
- In your largest frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the white beans, a hearty pinch of salt and pepper, and saute just to warm through. Add the zucchini and gently saute for 5 to 6 minutes until warmed (too long and they’ll get soggy). Gently toss them in 1/3 cup of the pesto (add more to taste) and half of the pine nuts, basil, and Parmesan.
- Serve each bowl with a generous garnish of Parmesan, a pinch of red pepper flakes and a fresh grate of lemon zest. Serve the tomatoes alongside the noodles.
All you need is a spiraliser to make the zucchini into noodle shape. Alternatively you can always pop to Marks & Spencer where they sell pre-spiralised zucchinis.
This recipe is based on one from the Sprouted Kitchen, but now that I didn’t make my own pesto, it doesn’t bear enough resemblance to say it’s the same recipe!