Raw Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto and Golden Tomatoes

I'm sure you've seen it all over Pinterest, avocado pesto. I can tell you why it’s everywhere, its super yummy. And although avocado is calorically dense, it is also nutrient rich. And it takes the place of parmesan in the pesto. I made my husband a grilled cheese with this on the bread the next day. And I had an amazing veggie filled sandwich, using this as the condiment. Its creamier than traditional pesto. And in my opinion, it is tastier too. Another huge plus of this dish is raw vegetables. When you leave your vegetables raw, they keep all of their nutrients. Not to mention one cup of zucchini noodles is like 20 calories, versus 300-400 calories for a wheat based pasta.

Ingredients:

(this makes roughly 1/2-2 cups pesto)

3 avocados

10 garlic cloves

5 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup pine nuts

1 tbsp water

2 oz basil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3-5 zucchinis (1 1/2 is one plate of "noodles")

golden tomatoes

extra pine nuts (optional)

feta or parmesan for topping (optional)

Instructions:

1. Using a Vegetti or mandolin, prepare the zucchini and set aside.

2. In a Vitamix blender, puree the avocadoes, garlic cloves, lemon juice, olive oil, pine nuts, water, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Add the basil and pulse until it all turns into tiny green flakes.

3. Toss a few tbsp of the pesto in with the zucchini and the tomatoes. (A little goes a long way.)

4. Top with additional pine nuts or cheese if desired.

Enjoy!