Bacon-Basil Zucchini “Pasta”

My inexpensive Mandoline Slicer is one of my favorite kitchen tools!  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 mandoline, 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.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 70 minutes

Serves: 3-4

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, omit for AIP)

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!