Zucchini Noodles with Almond Marinara
Adapted from Whole 30, original recipe here
Ingredients
5 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 sweet onion, chopped
¾ c almonds, chopped
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 15-ounce can no salt added diced tomatoes, “lightly”
drained (see note)
2 T red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2-3 medium zucchini, cut into “noodles”
Optional: Shrimp (uncooked), Chickpeas or Grilled Chicken. A good portion is 4 oz per person, or ½ c beans.
Directions
*Pre-measure/cut
all ingredients as this is a fast cooking dish at times.
1.
Heat 2T oil in
large skillet. Sauté almonds for 2-3 minutes. Add onion and cook until
translucent, about 5 minutes.
2.
Add garlic,
cook for 1 minute.
3.
Add paprika
and chili powder, cook 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan.
4.
Add tomatoes;
cook until heated, about 1 minute. Turn off heat. Add another 2T oil, 2T
vinegar, salt and pepper.
5.
Let cool a
bit, then blend or process almond marinara into a chunky sauce. Be sure to vent
your machine to allow heat to escape, or use an immersion blender right in your
pan.
6.
In another
pan, heat 1T oil and sauté shrimp, chickpeas, or COOKED chicken, if using. Once done, add
zucchini noodles and cook 2-3 minutes, or until they are tender. If not using protein, simply sauté zucchini 2-3 minutes.
7.
Serve! I like to put the sauce on the bottom, pile on the zucchini then top with protein. If you're not using a
separate protein you could use a few chopped almonds on top for a little
something extra.
Notes
-THIS IS SO KEY!! You can make the sauce up to 3 days ahead! When you do this, it's such a quick weeknight meal. Also, the sauce makes enough for 6-8 servings, and you can freeze it. Use leftover sauce in many ways – top a sweet potato, eat on its own as a “soup” or enjoy it over sautéed vegetables, rice and kidney beans.
-You can cut the zucchini
noodles by hand, or use a mandoline slicer, or spiralizer.
-You don’t have to squeeze
every ounce of juice out of the diced tomatoes. Just pour the liquid off the
top, using your hand as a strainer, and give the can a little shake.
-Make multi-colored
noodles and use ½ zucchini, ½ summer squash. Pretty!
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