Zucchini "Pasta"

Warm the zucchini just prior to mixing in with the sauce.

In my quest to consume healthy food that tastes awesome, I came across the concept of using zucchini in the place of spaghetti. It's not really a new concept, I substitute spaghetti squash pretty frequently, but I was not entirely sure how using zucchini would turn out. First, how to cut the zucchini into such fine strands seemed a bit daunting. I read about the fancy spiralizer devices that make pretty quick work of a zucchini, but was not convinced it was time to make that investment. For Christmas I received a beautiful julienne peeler, so I decided to give it a try. All the spaghetti-like strands pictured here were created with the peeler. I used three fairly small, tender zucchinis (about 6 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter) to make this mound of "pasta." There was enough to feed two hungry people. Just before peeling (leaving the skin intact), I thoroughly washed each zucchini. I worked around the zucchini creating four sides as I peeled from top to bottom, leaving the very center with all the seeds uncut.

For today's dish I tried a sauce from a great food blog by Gina Matsoukas called Running to the Kitchen. The recipe, Zucchini Noodles with Sausage, Cherries and Ricotta, can be found at this link: http://www.runningtothekitchen.com/2013/08/zucchini-pasta-with-sausage-cherries-ricotta/. It is an excellent summertime dish when zucchinis are emerging from the garden and fresh cherries are in abundance. If you decide to give it a try, you will be delighted by the wonderful pairing of flavors. I cook the sausage first and then let it drain on paper towels. I combine the basil, fennel, cherries and sausage while the zucchini warms up a bit, and then add it along with the delicate lemon-honey-olive oil dressing. It's pretty tasty! The creamy ricotta cheese is a milder choice than a salty asiago or parmesan and it works really well. All in all each component of the dish complements the others well. I recommend trying it. You might be surprised what a delicious substitute zucchini is for spaghetti.