SWAP PASTA FOR COURGETTES!

Time to swap out heavy pasta for the humble summer squash… the courgette or zucchini (plural) as it’s also known, in season now and delicious.

Continue to enjoy your favourite pasta meals guilt free, without the heavy and glutenous carbohydrates of pasta, whilst trying to eat more healthily or for weight-loss.

Suddenly cutting out pasta, bread, potatoes, rice can be a bit of a shock to the system! Knowing of and being able to prepare healthy alternatives will really help you out.

Courgettes are so easy to turn into spaghetti or pappardelle, which can be used in place of pasta or to make a raw salad side dish.

Courgettes are full of nutrients including: Copper, fibre, folate, magnesium, manganese, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, thiamin, Vitamins A, B6, C, K. It’s the skin that is particularly rich in nutrients, so be sure to leave it on to reap the benefits.

YOU WILL NEED

• Around 1 large or 2 small courgettes per person
• A spiralizer/ julienne peeler or a potato peeler

INSTRUCTIONS

• Wash your courgettes and tail them.
• Attach the noodle blade and your courgette to the spiralizer and spiralize away!
• If you don’t have a spiralizer, get your hands on a julienne peeler or just use a potato peeler and ‘peel’ the courgette into ribbons, pappardelle style!
• Enjoy raw or, if you prefer to warm your courgetti/ noodles, toss in a little olive or coconut oil in a medium hot frying pan for a minute or two, keep them moving while they heat through.

 Here are some simple serving suggestions for using your courgetti or pappardelle…

• Pappardelle with homemade pesto and toasted pine nuts. Add a roasted chicken breast/ thigh or pan seared fillet of salmon for protein.
• Courgetti and ragu or Bolognese sauce.
• Courgetti carbonara
• Add to any dish where you’d normally be using spaghetti, pasta or noodles.