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Pasta with a healthy twist

Vegan Zoodle Spaghetti Puttanesca Recipe
to celebrate World Pasta Day

Calling all Pasta lovers of the world! Although we should be celebrating Pasta every single day, the 25th of October is officially World Pasta Day. Did you know people have been eating pasta since at least 5,000 B.C? Pasta comes in all shapes, forms and is a dish served in many different countries.

Today we pay tribute to one of the most delicious and versatile foods known to man, with a healthy twist. Delicious, simple and guilt free!

Our friend Sarah from Sarah’s Spoonful shares her go-to Pasta recipe.

This twist on a classic Italian recipe, spaghetti puttanesca, may not be entirely traditional but it’s still both delicious and packed with plenty of extra veg. By combining zoodles with regular noodles, you get the best of both worlds – a little nutritional boost & extra greens with all the comfort of ‘real’ pasta! I like to use a pulse based or wholemeal pasta option to increase the fibre and plant-based protein in this recipe. I like this brand, but feel free to use whichever you prefer.

Make sure you don’t overcook the zoodles in this recipe. Nobody likes soggy, mushy zucchini! If you cook them too long, they’ll wilt down and lose any semblance of pasta. In my experience, I’ve found that less than a minute is all you really need. Just enough time to heat up the zoodles and incorporate the sauce, but not enough time to cook them completely.

Although I’m sure that any true Italian would roll their eyes at me for calling this recipe spaghetti puttanesca, this traditional combination of tomato, olive and chilli is always a winner. I’ve left out the anchovies to keep this version vegan, but you could include these if you don’t follow a plant-based diet. Even without the anchovies, this recipe is still full of flavour. The olives provide the same salty kick as the anchovies, and I’ve used semi-sundried tomatoes instead of tinned tomatoes for a stronger, herbier result. If you prefer your paster a little saucier, however, you could absolutely add a tin of tomatoes. Simply double the other ingredients (so that the recipe serves four) and add a 400g tin of crushed tomatoes to the pan after step two.

Vegan Zoodle Spaghetti Puttanesca

Prep Time 10 minutes. Cook Time 8 minutes. Serves 2.

Ingredients

•200 grams spaghetti

•1 zucchini spiralised

•¼ cup pitted olives

•¼ cup semi-sundried tomatoes

•2 tbsp fresh basil leaves

•½ cup baby spinach leaves

•2 cloves garlic minced

•1 tbsp olive oil

•1 tsp chilli flakes

•salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1.Prepare the spaghetti according to packet instructions.

2.Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic, chilli flakes, olives and tomatoes and cook over a medium heat until the garlic is fragrant and turning golden.

3.Add the basil and spinach to the pan and cook, stirring, until the leaves start to wilt.

4.Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the pan with the zucchini. Toss everything to combine and cook until the zucchini is cooked and slightly soft – about thirty to sixty seconds.

5.Add salt and pepper to taste and serve topped with basil.

Website: https://sarahsspoonful.com/
Instagram: @sarahsspoonful