A gym friend with a rather productive home garden gave me some zucchini the other day. I’m generally not a fan of the texture when it’s cooked, so I wanted to create something raw. On the “healthy” cooking sites, “zoodles” are all the rage. I’m not talking about the horribly sweet canned pasta us 70s and 80s kids will remember. These are zucchini “noodles”. I made them with a Japanese (Benriner) mandoline, though you can use a spiralizer if you’re a fan of single-use kitchen gadgets.
This salad is all about fresh, clean flavours and a substantial amount of garlic. I love the balance as is, though you could opt for a more substantial dressing. If you find something that makes it even better, let me know.
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
400g zucchini – peeled and julienned or spiralized
4g kosher salt
20g extra-virgin olive oil
15g lemon juice
1 clove garlic – very finely minced or grated
1 pinch fresh ground black pepper
100g cherry tomatoes – halved
2g Italian (flat-leaf) parsley leaves
10g Parmesan cheese – shaved
Preparation:
Place zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with salt and toss well with your fingers. Let rest for fifteen minutes, gently squeezing a time or two to remove excess liquid.
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and pepper.
Move the zucchini to a serving bowl and toss with the oil mixture.
Top with the tomatoes, parsley and cheese, serving immediately.