Raw Zucchini Spaghetti With Marinara

Never before have I whipped up such a savory and plentiful meal in less than 15 minutes. But, be forewarned – you will need a special kitchen gadget called a spiralizer.

This simple and fast raw zucchini spaghetti really encompasses what Tucson’s summer harvest can provide. And let’s not forget the added bonus of no stove top required.

Don’t let the simplicity of this raw dish fool you, though. If you have yet to try an entire meal that hasn’t touched a hot pan, I guarantee you will be delighted with the bold, intricate flavors many people eating raw foods boast of.

Aside from satisfying your taste buds, adding raw meals into your diet has super nutritional perks. Benefit claims range from increased energy to improved digestion, weight loss, and maximum nutrition.

Many thanks to Las Milpitas Community Farm (tomatoes, basil, thyme, shallots, chili) and Forever Young Farm (zucchini, garlic) for providing the fresh produce to make this meal possible.

If you prefer to leave the raw delicacies to the professionals, I recommend two outstanding restaurants that are known exactly for this. Falora‘s Piastra salad is a phonemanal spiralized zucchini noodle dish. If a more upscale raw experience is what you have in mind, make your dinner reservation at Tasteful Kitchen in the heart of Tucson.

• 3 lbs tomatoes, chopped*
• 2 medium zucchini*
• 4 garlic cloves, minced*
• 1 shallot bulb, diced*
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes*
• 1/4 cup basil*
• 2 tbsp olive oil*
• 1 tsp thyme*
• 1 Serrano chili*
• 3 tbsp hemp seeds*
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast*
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt

Combine tomatoes, garlic, oil, chili and herbs in a blender, pulse until preferred chunky or smooth texture. To prepare the noodles, use the spiralizer. Readily available, this fun gadget will grade your vegetables into long, noodle like threads. Dry blend hemp seeds, nutritional yeast and a 1/2 tsp of salt until texture is similar to parmesan. Toss raw noodles with marinara, sprinkle with hemp parmesan and serve.

*Indicates organically grown