ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH ROASTED TOMATOES

I thought this dish was terrific. My husband is not a “zoodle” fan so he only thought it was “OK.” The recipe called for cherry tomatoes but I used garden tomatoes since I had an abundant number from my garden. I also added roasted garlic because I LOVE GARLIC!

Here is the original recipe by Marina Delio at “Yummy Mummy Kitchen”: ONE PAN ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES. See the recipe below for my modifications including removal of the oil.

When cooking garlic, it is best to crush it then let it sit for 10 minutes before cooking. Dr. Michael Greger explains why:

How can I preserve the anti-cancer effects of cooked garlic?

Dr. Greger has a lot to say about garlic’s health benefits:

Benefits of Garlic for Fighting Cancer and the Common Cold

Benefits of Garlic Powder for Heart Disease

Inhibiting Platelet Activation with Garlic & Onions

ONE PAN ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (Did not use oil)

5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced crosswise (I finely chopped it)

1/4 teaspoon sea or pink salt (I added an extra 1/4 tsp at the end)

pinch red pepper flakes (Mine was large)

1/4 cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or vegetable broth (I used Pinot)

4 cups cherry tomatoes (I used 10 roasted garden tomatoes, chopped)

1 (15 oz.) can white beans such as cannellini, drained

4 medium sized zucchini, spiralized (After spiralized weighed 2 pounds; I cut using kitchen scissors since too long)

1/4 cup vegan “Parmesan cheese” (Used 1/2 cup homemade “Parmesan”)

1/4 cup fresh basil, julienned (Used 1/3 packed cup Thai basil leaves, chopped)

I also added 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp onion powder, freshly ground black pepper, and 12 whole cloves of roasted garlic

Instructions per blog

1. In a large skillet or pot, stir together the olive oil, sliced garlic, salt, pepper flakes, wine, and tomatoes. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the tomatoes have popped.

2. Stir in the beans and spiralized zucchini and sauté for 3 minutes, or until the zucchini noodles are al dente. Do not overcook the noodles or they will become mushy and watery. You just want to soften them a little. Stir in fresh basil and parmesan.

What I did

1. In large pot over medium heat add garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, red pepper flakes, wine/broth, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Simmer briefly until spices fragrant.

2. Add zucchini noodles and saute 3 minutes.

3. Add roasted tomatoes and roasted garlic cloves. Toss and cook for 3 minutes.

4. Add beans and cook about 2 minutes until beans warm. Remove from heat.

5. Add chopped basil and vegan “Parmesan” and toss to combine. Add freshly ground black pepper and any additional salt to taste.

How I roasted the tomatoes and garlic:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Placed tomatoes on parchment paper lined baking tray.

3. Peeled garlic cloves and wrapped together in piece of parchment paper. Placed on baking tray with the tomatoes.

4. Baked 50 minutes.