Real talk; I have to admit that I can get a little lazy when it comes to cooking in the summer months. It’s too hot to turn on the oven, and I’d rather spend more time outside than in the kitchen cleaning dishes. In the winter, I don’t mind spending 2-3 hours on a fancy in-depth dinner, but this time of year, I’m looking for quick, easy, oven-free recipes.
Zucchini noodles, zoodles, spiralized zucchini…whatever you want to call them, these tasty strands make the perfect summer dinner. They only require about five minutes of stove-time and they are a great way to get more seasonal veggies (and less processed pastas) into your meal.
I’ve never found marinara sauce to work well on zoodles, so lately I’ve been making this cashew cream sauce which has a super bright flavor, perfect for this time of year. Lemon, fresh herbs, cashews, and almondmilk combine for the creamiest, most seriously delicious thing to hit your taste buds all season.
New Barn Organic Unsweetened Almondmilk is a staple in my fridge and the only one I’ll use for this recipe. It’s made with only four ingredients: organic almonds and lots of ’em, organic acacia gum to keep the milk intact when you shake it, sea salt for balance, and water. It really is as close to homemade almondmilk as it gets! Frankly, I just don’t have the time to make my own, and having New Barn in my fridge at all times just makes my life so much easier. (I use the Unsweetened or the Original in my smoothies almost daily.)
Aside from being gluten-free, certified organic + non-gmo, carageenan-free, soy-free, kosher, and (duh) vegan, the New Barn Organic Unsweetened Almondmilk is also Whole30 approved. For those of you who are doing or planning on doing a Whole30 program, this almondmilk, along with my recipe here, is totally fair game! Clean as it gets, folks!
NOTE: I prefer to use basil in this recipe when I’m making the sauce to pair with the zoodles, but mint is also a great option and is delicious on zoodles or pasta as well. Subbing in cilantro in this sauce makes it the PERFECT creamy sauce to go on tacos or burritos. Use whatever herb you have on hand or whatever you are in the mood for and I promise it will be delicious.
Zoodles with Lemon-HERB Cashew Cream Sauce
Serves 2 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 large zucchini, spiralized
1 C cashews, soaked 4-6 hours
1/2 C New Barn Organic Unsweetened Almondmilk
1 C basil, mint, or cilantro (loose, not packed)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp sea salt / pink salt
pinch of black pepper (about two “grinds” with a pepper mill)
1 Tbs lemon juice (about half a lemon’s worth)
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
DIRECTIONS:
Spiralize your zucchini. (Pro tip: while you are preparing the cashew cream sauce, let the zoodles sit out on some paper towels with a sprinkle of salt to draw out some of the moisture. Then pat dry when you are ready to cook. This will prevent you from having water-y zoodles!)
If you forgot to soak cashews for 4-6 hours, you can take a little shortcut and soak them in very hot (but not boiling) water for about 15 minutes.
Add cashews, the New Barn Almondmilk, basil (or mint or cilantro!), garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to your blender or food processor and blend until creamy and smooth. In my Vitamix, this took about a minute. Depending on your blender, you may need to stop after the first 15 seconds or so to scrape the sides.
Place your zoodles in pan along with 1 Tbs of olive oil and stir to coat. Cook over medium heat and gently stir for about five minutes, until warmed through. Don’t cook them too long or they will get soggy! Add the halved cherry tomatoes in the final minute or two.
If you prefer the sauce to be warm, add about 1/2 cup to the pan and stir it in, warming the sauce in with the zoodles for a few minutes. Personally, I like the sauce at room temperature and I simply drizzle it over my zoodles after they are on my plate.
Add salt and some fresh black pepper to taste, garnish with some extra basil, and serve!
You’ll be left with some extra cashew cream sauce which is delicious over regular pasta, on tacos, as a veggie dip…this sauce does it all!
Let me know if you try out this recipe and don’t forget to tag me on IG @hashtagvegan or with the hashtag #hashtagvegan. I love seeing your creations!
P.S. A big thank you to New Barn for sponsoring this post! Recipe and opinions are 100% my own and I only work with companies whose products I genuinely use and love.
For the animals,
