Bacon-Basil Zucchini “Pasta”
April 4, 2012 in Side Dishes, Starchy Staples, Stir Fries and One-Pot Meals, Veggies
I bought myself a relatively inexpensive Mandoline Slicer
and I love it! It makes so many jobs in the kitchen so much faster. There are some jobs that would take so long with a knife that I just never even bother. Making paleo “noodles” out of vegetables is one such job. If you’re looking for a mandolin, make sure you get one that can do a fine julienne. A ton of different vegetables can be julienned into long strips and steamed, braised or sautéed as mock noodles. And my kids LOVE them (there’s something so satisfying about a long skinny slurpy noodle, especially if it is a carrot noodle, a turnip noodle, or a broccoli stem noodle). This recipe features zucchini as a mock noodle, which has such a lovely flavor for Italian-inspired dishes. Omit the walnuts to make this recipe autoimmune protocol-friendly. This recipe makes enough for 3-4 hearty side dish portions. Alternately, you could add some grilled steak, prawns or chicken and turn this into a main dish for two. If you don’t have an oversized frying pan
(which is another kitchen must-have!), you could try using a Wok
.
Ingredients:
- 4 large zucchini (about 2 pounds)
- 2 tsp Salt
(to salt the zucchini)
- 1/3 cup bacon grease (crispy bits make it even better)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ cup chopped Walnuts
(optional)
1. Finely julienne zucchini lengthwise to create long strips of zucchini. Toss with salt in a colander and let sit in the sink for 1 hour.
2. Rinse the zucchini very, very thoroughly (have a taste to make sure it’s not salty at all). Drain on a tea towel or paper towels to get rid of as much moisture as possible.
3. Heat bacon grease in an oversized frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and zucchini and sauté, stirring frequently until zucchini is cooked “al dente”, about 4-5 minutes (should be a very hot pan).
4. Toss in basil and walnuts (if using) and cook another 2 minutes, stirring a couple of times.
5. Serve!
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Tags: ancestral diet, Dairy-free, Diet, Gluten-Free, Grain-free, legume-free, paleo, Paleolithic, pasta, primal, zucchini
This recipe was awesome. I was nervous making it since my kids have never ever liked zucchini…EVER. Tonight they loved the “eel” like side dish
They went back for SECONDS and said this was the best dinner they have ever had! Wonder if they will like the leftovers tomorrrow. Thank you!!
Why the soaking in salt for an hour?
It pulls some of the water out of the zucchini, so it doesn’t get too soupy when you cook it and so that it doesn’t get too mushy.