Pesto Zoodles

Ingredients

Zoodles

• 4 Zucchini
• 1 clove garlic or garlic powder
• Ground pepper
• Olive oil (A few tablespoons for frying)
• Salt

Pesto 

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 2-6 cloves garlic (I usually use 2, but tons of garlic has its advantages)
• Freshly ground pepper
• Basil (1 container from TJs) (stems removed)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano

Serving

• Grated cheese
• (Optional) Pepper 
• (Optional) Chili flakes 

Steps

1. Make the pesto
   1. Blend olive oil, nuts and garlic together until quite smooth
   2. Add the basil into the blender while it is running on medium or higher, a handful at a time (try not to make a mess!)
   3. Transfer to a container
   4. Add grated cheese and pepper
   5. Add salt if it needs it (The Pecorino Romano is quite salty and probably won’t, but the Parmesan might)
2. Make Zoodles
   1. Spirilize the zucchini, breaking apart extra long strands
   2. Heat olive oil in a large pan on medium-high heat until almost smoking 
   3. Add zoodles, and let sit for a bit (30s?)  to let them wilt before flipping
   4. Flip occasionally, adding salt, garlic and pepper whenever you feel like it
   5. Keep tasting the zoodles after a few minutes to see if they are done. They should not be super mushy
3. Serve and eat immediatly 

Side Comments

Varying the blending speed has a large effect on the taste and consistency of the pesto. A higher blend results in smoother pesto with more immediate flavor,  but goes bad quicker and lacks texture. 

There are almost no carbohydrates in this dish. You might want to serve with crusty homemade sourdough, or some steamed corn (coming in a later recipe). 

If the heat is too low, the zoodles may retain a lot of water. You can carefully pour some of it off.