I’m calling it now. This will be my summer of zoodles.
(Or I’ll get bored and move on to something else. Summer of roasted strawberries, anyone? Hang on to that thought…)
I am just a touch obsessed with this pasta imposter right now, especially since I caved and got an Oxo handheld spiralizer. (“I can just cut them into thin strips myself! Why would I ever spend money on that?!” Cut to: me eating this dish and never looking back.)
I love pasta, but I don’t run enough to justify eating it even once a week. Enter the zoodle. It was a hit with the chicken harissa meatballs I made a few weeks ago. This recipe, with chicken and burst tomatoes from Pinch of Yum, is even simpler. Plus, she makes a killer lemony avocado sauce to go with it, so we’ve reached peak trendy foods, all in one stop. The sauce requires a food processor, or some kind of tool with chopping blade (like the KitchenAid one I’ve mentioned a few times). Although if you're determined enough, you could probably mix it by hand. I believe in you.
Once you get the basics down (zoodle + protein + veggies + sauce), it really becomes a slew of healthy weeknight options that are almost too good to be true. Shrimp instead of chicken? Great. Top it with mushrooms? Awesome. Red pepper sauce instead? Eeeexcellent. Lasagna picked up last minute from the freezer section of your grocery store? I’m not stopping you. Zoodles are great but nothing compares to lasagna.
But back to our healthier ambitions. Here’s the recipe I adapted slightly, courtesy of Pinch of Yum.
Zoodles with Chicken and Burst Tomatoes
Ingredients
Pasta
1 lb. chicken, cut into small pieces
3 cups cherry tomatoes
4 zucchinis, spiralized
parmesan for topping
olive oil, for cooking chicken and tomatoes
Sauce
1 avocado
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp. salt
½ cup fresh flat leaf parsley
3-4 green onions (green parts)
1 garlic clove
juice of 1 lemon
freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the sauce by pulsing all ingredients together until smooth. Set aside.
Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan and cook the chicken pieces over medium heat. Set aside.
Heat the cherry tomatoes in the skillet with a quick drizzle of olive oil. Cook until the skin starts to blister and the tomatoes release some of their juices.
Add the zucchini with the tomatoes in the pan, and mix together. Cook for 1-2 additional minutes.
Add the chicken back to the pan and keep heated for another minute or so, making sure the chicken warms up (if needed).
Top with avocado sauce and parmesan.
Test Kitchen Notes
I didn’t have fresh parsley at the ready, so I used dried parsley. About 2 tbsp. or so will do the job.
The recipe doesn’t call for halving the cherry tomatoes, but I found they released more juice this way and made the whole dish a little saucier. Either option works!
Comments