Pasta is one of those foods that I just straight gave up a long time ago. After going gluten-free I went through a phase of eating gluten-free pasta here and there, and while there are some good brands the cost alone is enough of a deterrent to keep it from becoming a regular dietary staple. After going paleo and now AIP I have found absolutely no point in trying to figure out how to create a legitimate pasta substitute. That being said, I am a big fan of spaghetti squash.
I don’t really view spaghetti squash as a pasta substitute. It doesn’t taste like pasta, it doesn’t feel like pasta, it’s not a comfort food like pasta, but it is good in its own right. The only problem is that my go to sauce option for all things spaghetti squash was tomato based. Now, with nightshades out of the question, I had to find a new sauce to liven up my menu.
With warmer temps becoming the norm, pesto sauce crossed my mind. The only problem is that being nowhere near basil season in my garden, I was going to have to buy a bunch of fresh basil with a bit of a price tag. Plus, there is the issue of the cheese and pine nuts. So, I decided to look into making sauces with other vegetables… boy was that more challenging than I thought it would be. I had come up with the notion that I could make a pesto-like sauce out of zucchini, but I wanted to see if it had been done before. I found one semi example on the entire internet… slim pickings!
So I basically just went for it and the result was great! My hubby was very skeptical because he is not a huge fan of zucchini and even he said that he couldn’t tell a difference.
This is a great recipe to tryout if you have dietary restrictions, but it is also a great recipe to stick in the back of your mind for later this summer when you are drowning in zucchini and can’t bear to make another loaf of bread!
Zucchini Pesto Sauce:
(Serves 2)
- 1 Large zucchini
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 2 TBS of Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp of salt
Directions:
Cut your zucchini in half, length wise, and scoop out the seeds. Drop it in a pot of boiling water for about 2 minutes. Take it out of the boiling water and place it on a plate or cloth to drain for a minute while you peel your garlic cloves. Then, put your zucchini and garlic into your food processor (This is the link to my favorite food processor
).
While the food processor is running drizzle in your olive oil and add your salt. Blend until it is creamy and sauce like. Add it to your spaghetti squash and toss to coat. I added chicken to mine but this would be good, by itself or even with shrimp! Enjoy!
For more information on healing through the autoimmune protocol diet, check out Sara Ballantyne’s book The Paleo Approach
. It is packed with solid science and practical tips that have changed my health dramatically.
4 Comments
Looks great! I will have to try this!
This recipe is a godsend in so many ways. My daughter has been SUFFERING from a severe eczema flare up for months. She is off all meds temporarily until update allergy tests are done. She has been on the AIP diet for over a week but hasn’t seen any change really in her skin, although her digestion has improved. Can’t wait to show her the recipe!
I am so sorry that you’re daughter is having such a hard time. AIP has been a blessing t me in so many ways but since it works by healing you gut first it can take a while to see improvements in symptoms. It took me about a month to see change sin my primary symptoms. I hope she enjoys the recipe and tell her good luck on her AIP journey!
Thank you! I’ll tell her it took a month for you, although I know every person is different and suffers from different issues. Looking forward to more recipes.
Comments are closed.