Zoodle Primavera

Summer is sadly coming to an end soon, but not yet!

In many ways, it's actually prime Farmer's Market season here in upstate New York. Everyone is overflowing with all the tastiest gems of summer like tomatoes, basil, and zucchini.

And those market zucchinis are no joke! More often than not, they're bigger than my forearm and they're super flavorful, crisp and amazing.

Hence my intense desire to perfect zoodles before the zucchinis start to get smaller and smaller again.

I created this Zoodle Primavera recipe out of the necessity really. The crisper drawer was overflowing with fresh veggies and the tomato vines were starting to hang a little low.

So, I zoodled 1 truly enormous zucchini and added it in to a quick saute of peppers, broccoli, asparagus, onion, carrots, tomatoes, spinach and garlic. I stirred in a bit of ricotta for creaminess and a small mountain of fresh Parmesan for saltiness (and just because!).

This recipe works with whatever fresh or frozen veggies you have in the house—take out whatever you don't love and try adding other colored peppers, snap peas, sweet peas, etc. And, if Luke had been here when I made this, he would have added some grilled chicken on top. Do whatever sounds good and yummy.

...as long as you serve it with a cold glass of wine and some extra parm for topping!

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Zoodle Primavera

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 large zucchini
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 small onion
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 1/2 bunch asparagus
• 1 small head of broccoli
• 1 carrot grated
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 2 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup Parmesan
• 1 tbsp ricotta
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
• salt & pepper

Instructions

• Prep your zucchini noodles with a spiralizer or carefully cut into long, thin noodles. (I use a mandolin to cut the zucchini in long strips, then slice those strips into noodles.)
  
• In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes—stir for 1 minute, until the garlic begins to brown.
  
• Mix in the onion, bell pepper, asparagus and broccoli. Cook for 3 minutes until broccoli begins to soften. Toss in the carrots, tomatoes and spinach. Cook for 1 more minute.
  
• Add zoodles in the pot and stir to combine. Immediately add the ricotta and parmesan and remove from the heat. Sprinkle with the fresh basil and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.