Feeling stressed about what to cook for dinner tonight? Jacqueline Alwill’s zucchini pasta takes the hassle out of dinner preparation, whilst still delivering on taste and nutrition.
“Zucchini pasta, also known as ‘zoodles’ or ‘spirals’, has become one of the best alternatives to wheat-based pasta due to the neutral flavour of the zucchini and its ability to hold its shape and soak up delicious flavours. There are plenty of tools around to make these zoodles, but you don’t need fancy equipment or skill of any sort to get started. Simply use a vegetable peeler to make long thin strips of zucchini, then either keep them wide or stack them and cut lengthways into thinner strips.” – Jacqueline Alwill
Zucchini pasta with prawns, chilli and lemon
GF / F / SF
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
2 large zucchini (courgettes)
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 raw king prawns, peeled and deveined (tails left on)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
teaspoon finely chopped red bird’s eye chilli (seeds removed if you don’t want the pasta too spicy)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
a small handful of rocket (arugula) leaves
60 g (2 oz) freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
- To make the zucchini pasta, either use a spiraliser or follow the instructions in the introduction above. I prefer my noodles slightly thinner as I find they catch the flavours a bit better, but go with what you feel most comfortable with to start and progress to thinner noodles as your confidence improves. If you want to make these earlier in the day, they’ll keep well in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them.
- Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Cook the zucchini noodles for 1 minute then remove from the pan and drain well.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Then add the prawns, garlic, lemon zest and chilli and cook, keeping everything moving around the pan, until the prawns just start to change colour. Add the drained zucchini noodles and toss well to combine. Gently stir through the lemon juice, rocket, grated parmesan (if using), and a good pinch of salt and pepper, then serve immediately.
Shop → Seasons to Share $39.99
Recipe and images from Seasons to Share by Jacqueline Alwill (Murdoch Books), available in bookstores and online.
