Zucchini Noodles with Tahini Basil Sauce
Put summer’s bounty of zucchini and basil to good use with these easy, nutritious, and oh-so-flavorful zucchini noodles with tahini basil sauce!
Equipment
- spiralizer (manual spiralizer or spiralizer attachment for food processor or stand mixer)
- blender or food processor
- large bowl
Ingredients
Pasta ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini
- 1 cup canned cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- ½ cup walnuts roughly chopped
Sauce ingredients
- ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves (with additional leaves set aside for garnish)
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice of approximately 1 medium lemon)
- 2 tablespoons runny tahini (see Note)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 1 clove garlic roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ¼ cup water (plus more, if needed to thin)
Instructions
- Spiralize the zucchini: Using a manual spiralizer or a spiralizer attachment on a food processor or stand mixer, spiralize the zucchini into spaghetti-like noodles.
- Make the sauce: Add all the sauce ingredients except water to a blender or food processor (a mini food processor works great for this, if you have one). Blend until smooth. Add the water in increments until you reach your desired consistency (the runniness of the tahini will impact the sauce consistency and how much water you’ll need to add). The sauce should be fairly smooth and thin, but not too watery.
- Assemble: Using your hands (to avoid breaking the noodles), gently toss the zucchini noodles and cannellini beans in the sauce until they are evenly coated. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately. (See Note).
Notes
- For best results, use smooth (i.e. “runny”) tahini that is easy to stir with a spoon. The dried-out tahini you often find as you get to the bottom of the container will work in a pinch, but you’ll likely need to add more water to reach the desired sauce consistency (which will, in turn, dilute the flavor).
- The noodles taste great at room temperature, but if you prefer them warm, heat them for a few minutes in a nonstick skillet before serving.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge. This dish taste best if consumed within 2 days.