GUILT FREE PASTA – YIPPEE!!!

If there ever was a win-win with clean, healthy, filling and totally delicious food, this dish has got to be up there at the top of the hierarchy! Pasta is one of my absolute favourite foods but because it is so high in carbs (and wheat) it’s a food group that Andrew and I have been pretty much avoiding since we began our journey. Although I must say that my obsession for spaghetti bolognese while pregnant was certainly a contributing factor to the baby weight I had to work so hard to lose afterwards!!! In the past I would always look longingly at recipes for pasta dishes knowing that I’ll probably never try them.

But I have just discovered a REAL little gem – the Betty Bossi Veggie- Twister! It is a little gadget which I found at King of Knives (kitchenware shop in Australia) (but there are plenty of similar gadgets out there) where you can stick half a zucchini into it, twist it around a bit and it creates long strands of zucchini that make the most amazing substitute for spaghetti!!!

How cool does this look???

How to prepare the zucchini (courgettes)

I used about 3 zucchinis per person. I topped and tailed them, cut them in half and let the Betty Bossi work it’s magic. I twisted the strands into a colander, and sprinkled with some Celtic sea salt and let it rest (much the same as you would salt an eggplant). It’s a good idea to put the colander onto a paper towel while you do this as it will weep considerably. After about half an hour the bitter juices have leached out and your pasta is ready to be sauced!

Dina’s Tomato Sauce

This recipe comes straight out of the Food Coach’s first cookbook. It was the first dish that Judy Davie ever taught us how to make and I will never forget it – mainly because the little techniques used make you feel nurturing and clever and the end result – DELICIOUS! Promise me you will get your hands dirty with the tomatoes – it is just FUN!!!

I must admit, the first time I made the zucchini pasta I used a good quality pasta sauce out of a jar (which was actually very delicious too!), so when I started frying up my basil for the home-made version Andrew was a little bit sceptical. Well, let’s just say I have won him over – it is now his favourite dinner!!!

What you will need:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I confess I use 3 teaspoons organic minced garlic)

1 small carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 chilli (optional) seeded and finely sliced (I actually could have left the seeds in to give it a bit of a kick if that is your thing)

4 1/2 cups mixed fresh Italian herbs (think thyme, oregano, parsley) chopped

4 X 400 g tins whole tomatoes (try to look for no added sugar or salt)

How you make it:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan until very hot, then drop in the basil and stir with a wooden spoon until crispy. (Stand back at first it might spatter!). Add the onion, garlic, carrot, chilli and herbs and sauté until the vegetables are soft.

Tip the tomatoes into a large bowl and break into small pieces with your hands. (The reasoning behind this is that this ensures they are not so bitter as they can be if chopped up with a metal spoon and is supposed to be the secret to this dish …) Add to the pan, bring to the boil and simmer (uncovered) for 45 minutes until the liquid has thickened and is reduced by almost half. You will end up with a rich, thick, delicious sauce. (You can store the sauce in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 7 days or freeze for up to 3 months.)

How to use the sauce with the zucchini pasta:

You don’t need to cook the zucchini, you can either toss the zucchini into the hot sauce and serve or as the sauce was quite hot we just piled some onto the zucchini pasta and let the sauce heat the zucchini as we mixed it through. You could steam the zucchini before adding the sauce I suppose – only for a minute or so though ..

To top it off I added a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan.