Rawsome Pasta Marinara!

If you're after something filling, fresh and tasty, this is the perfect dish and a great way to use up Zucchini in the Autumn. Kids love helping make the noodles too!

Pasta Marinara

For the pasta:

Spiralise* 4 Zucchini (ratio is about 1 Zucchini per person or more depending on appetite), toss in a little Salt and Olive Oil and set aside.

For the sauce:

1½ Cups Sun Dried Tomatoes (soaked for 1-2 hours)

4 Large Fresh Tomatoes

1 Clove of Garlic

¼ Red Onion

1 Cup of Fresh Basil Leaves

1 Tablespoon fresh Oregano

½ Cup Flat Leaf Parsley

½ teaspoon Chipotle Pepper

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Coconut Nectar

A splash of Red Wine Vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1)  Blend all the sauce ingredients.

2)  Remove any excess water from the Zucchini and arrange on serving plates.

3)  Top with sauce.

Notes:

·       You can add ‘Parmesan’ cheese to this dish, and also a few Olives are a nice touch.

·       If you’re in a real hurry, you can add a Tablespoon or two of Italian Herbs to replace the fresh, but fresh really is best!

‘Parmesan’

2 Cups of Pine Nuts

½ cup Water

1tsp Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Sea Salt

2 tablespoons Lemon Juice

2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast

Process all ingredients in a food processor. Spread across a dehydrator sheet or baking paper in a thin layer (around 2-3mm). Dehydrate till firm- about 12 hours. Turn over onto another tray or fresh baking paper and dehydrate a further 24 hours. Remove, cool and break into shards. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. This stuff lasts forever and is a great additional any salad, pizza, you name it!

 * You can buy a spiraliser at most kitchen stores, there are many varieties, you can also buy online http://www.therawfoodstore.com.au/products/gefu-spirelli-duo-spiral-slicer , mine is a bigger model with a handle which I prefer for doing bulk loads, you can also just buy a veggie peeler with small teeth in it. If you like the thicker 'fettucine' ribbons, a veggie peeler will do that just fine too! 

Rawsome 'Parmesan'!

I think I've mentioned this before, but I LOVE CHEESE! I don't get it from the dairy cabinet these days as I've found ways to fill that void with so many raw vegan alternatives. One of them is ‘parmesan’. This stuff lasts for months (if you don't put it on every single thing you make!) and really adds that delicious salty, cheesy tang to any dish. I use it on salads, pizza, and definitely raw pasta dishes! 

 2 Cups Of Pine Nuts

½ Cup Water

1tsp Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Sea Salt

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast/Savoury Yeast*

Process all ingredients in a food processor. Spread across a dehydrator sheet or baking paper in a thin layer (around 2-3mm). Dehydrate till firm- about 12 hours. Turn over onto another tray or fresh baking paper and dehydrate a further 24 hours. Remove, cool and break into shards. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, lasts months!

What is Nutritional Yeast anyway?

 Nutritional yeast is made from a single-celled organism, Saccharomyces cerevisiae,  grown on molasses and then harvested, washed, and dried with heat to kill or “deactivate” it. So no it's not raw but it's vegan and a good source of b vitamins including that elusive b12 that everyone worries about vegans not getting enough of! It adds a great cheesy flavour to many dishes, I use it in a number of sauces. YUMMO!