Slothful Single Girl’s Summertime Pesto
Last Saturday, you heard me extol the virtues of basic recipes that lend themselves to many different variations. Well, there is no more versatile recipe than vegetable pasta. You can dress it with marinara sauce (like the red pepper marinara I love so much), cashew alfredo, various kinds of pesto, macadamia cream sauce (which I’ve tried before and liked) or even a simple vinaigrette. I’ve even been known to enjoy raw Caesar dressing over zucchini pasta! The possibilities are endless; vegetable pasta is every bit as versatile and fun as its cooked counterpart.
Last night, I was craving zucchini spaghetti, but I was also wiped out from work and feeling a little lazy. So in spite of the damp and chilly weather, I decided to make one of my favorite summertime recipes: summer squash linguine with fresh basil pesto—a.k.a., slothful single girl’s summertime pesto.
The logic behind the title of this recipe is simple:
1) It’s ridiculously easy, and fitting for a slothful mood
2) It serves one, so it’s suitable for single ladies (or gentlemen)
3) It’s best with fresh farmer’s market basil in the summer. Last night, I just picked up a small bunch of relatively tasty basil at the grocery store on my way home from work.
4) I like alliteration, OK? Sue me.
Here’s the recipe:
Slothful Single Girl’s Summertime Pesto
Ingredients:
2 cups basil, packed
¼ tsp sea salt, or to taste (I used a bit less)
2 tbsp olive oil
Procedure:
Blend all ingredients in a food processor. You’ll probably need to stop frequently to scrape down the bowl; you may need to add more oil, so use your judgment.
Serve over a heaping bowl of zucchini linguine and halved cherry tomatoes, and garnish with basil leaves. Enjoy!
Now, there are many more elaborate and tasty pesto recipes out there, and most use nuts. One of my favorites uses pumpkin seeds, and I hope to make it soon. But this minimalist recipe wins the award for speed, and it also has the advantage of being totally neutral, so those of you who honor food combining (like me), can enjoy it in any combination.
I was so impressed with how the yellow squash turned out using my new Paderno Spirooli!! The noodles were thicker and sturdier than the angel hair-like pasta that my Joyce Chen spiralizer used to make: I loved the texture. Check it out:
A photo of the dish:
…which I ate alongside a giant salad, obvi:
Of course, this reminds me to remind you all to enter the spiralizer giveaway, if you haven’t yet! I’ll be announcing the winner on Monday.
I hope your mornings are off to a good start!
xo
34 Responses to “Slothful Single Girl’s Summertime Pesto”
Comments
Read below or add a comment...
Leave A Comment...
Testimonials
–Lyn D., MarylandBefore I started working with Gena, I wasn’t sure whether it would be worth it, since I knew what I “should” be doing. Her counseling, however, turned out to be a key factor in my success.
Not only does she have great advice when I am struggling, but her realistic approach helped me make major changes despite having no time and limited funds. Her recipes and ideas are for real people with lives beyond their diets, and they are great. Gena is down to earth and non-judgmental. She strikes a great balance between encouraging me to go a little father but to keep things in perspective and have fun with the process.
Read more >>
FAQ
So where do you get your protein?Ah, the million dollar question. I know that my fellow raw foodists are uttering a collective sigh of frustration with me. But it’s inevitable, so here goes:
I get my protein from a wide array of vegetables, sea vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes. The notion that we need to supplement our diet with large amounts of protein, especially in the form of animal products, is mistaken: our bodies are capable of assembling amino acids from all of the foods we eat and building the “complete proteins” that we’ve all been told we need to get in a single sitting.
Read More >>
Recommendations
Juicer (average $50.00 - $500.00)If you’re like me, and juicing is a crucial part of your lifestyle, then the cost of a juicer will absolutely be worth it! It will buy itself back again and again and again. The juicer I recommend is the Breville Two-Speed Juice Fountain Plus. It’s the only juicer I’ve ever owned, and it has never let me down. I recommend you invest in a juicer that has at least this level of performance in order to juice leafy greens.
Some of you have asked me whether it’s wiser to buy a juicer or a Vitamix.
Read More
Gorgeous meal! I DEFINITELY need a spiralizer =) Yep, need it!
Yes, m’dear, you do! It’s one of the best raw foods investments you can make. Seriously.
Gena ! do you have a spiralizer you prefer to use that you think works very well ?
Pearl,
I like the one that I link to from Paderno in this post, and that I’m offering in my giveaway.
G
raw persto, especially with sundried tomatoes, was one of my favorite raw discoveries!!!!!
that looks just like real pasta. I really hope I win!
This sounds AMAZING!!!
Thanks!
Beautiful pasta, Raw pesto pasta is a favorite of mine!
Thanks, Emily! Cool blog!
That looks sooooo yummy!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE pesto, and I bet this would be a good meal to travel. Did you heat it up or eat it at room temp???
I ate it at room temperature, Annie. But you could steam the zucchini to eat it warm!
That. Looks. SO. Good.
wow looks amazing! see I don’t take pics because zucchini with a veggie peeler does not look as pretty!
That is the most gorgeous raw pasta I’ve ever seen!!! I just entered your giveaway….and if I had one, I’d totally make noodles like that (with the tasty pesto too!)
So glad you entered the giveaway, Bianca!
That looks beyond amazing. I LOVE pesto!
Thanks Dori
Looks delicious Gena
We are off on a road trip this weekend ~ taking pumpkin pie in a bowl with us for lunch. A little planning ahead so we have delicious foods with us in the middle of nowhere!
Have a great weekend, Emily.
Have an amazing trip, Emily! That’s such a great tip about the soup!
YUM!!! I am a HUGE fan of any form of super simple veg pasta. I make one similar. the recipe’s here if are interested…
http://lifestyleraw.blogspot.com/2008/12/need-for-simplicityand-raw-pasta.html
Love,
Casey
Heavenly!!!
wow. that looks so great. thanks so much for the positive feedback about my raw wednesday eats. im now even MORE impressed with you (as if that were possible) just for your meal planning skills alone. although, i imagine its very similar to when i went vegan (or transitioning to any other dietary lifestyle) – its not as difficult as others perceive as long as you have the tools to do so. i just hadnt really done any research aside from reading your blog, and was so surprised when i went to make my meal and was at a loss without a food processor or spiralizer. do you have any ideas for things i can make that are raw without those tools? they seem very key components to your meal prep. i want to get a little more creative next week, so any tips you have would be great! thanks gena.
Hi my dear,
I think I’m going to devote a post–or at least a question of the week–to this next week. To be brief, I do think that a food processor and spiralizer make things fun. But of the two, only a processor is really essential. I know it’s a lot of money, but it just enables SO many things: soups, pates, hummus (for non-raw recipes), dressings, chopping, prepping. It’s pretty invaluable to have for any chef, raw or not.
This said, I’m going to make a huge effort to show you lots of non-processor recipes. Do you have a normal blender?
xo
I am all about quick and simple. This sounds and looks fab. I betcha it would be even tastier if left to marinate a bit. Mmmm.
Need to bring something to share with the Hungarians on Mother’s Day. This looks like a lovely “pasta salad.” [I never utter the words "raw food" around them and they devour whatever I prepare. Ignorance is bliss.]
Just love the pesto and tomatoes with the zucchini pasta. What a great base for so many yummy vegetables. Thanks for the inspiration.
I just got a Spiral Slicer. My zucchini came out somewhat wet and short. Not the beautiful-looking pasta that you got. I even weatched youtube videos! What setting did you have your slicer? Going to try the pesto for lunch and still enjoy the zucchini pasta.
I spelled “watch” incorrectly. An editor, such as yourself, would pick up on that. I was an editor in a previous life.
Thank Gena for sharing this, good blog!
I am going to make zuchinni pasta tomorrow and wanted to know exactly how to make the noodles? Do i cook the noodles if i want a warm pasta???