This is the first post on my personal domain! I have no clue what I’m doing (as you can probably see from the current layout quirks). Naive me — I was shocked to find out that it’s really difficult to run your own site. “They” recommend that I hire someone to do all of this for me, but it’s very expensive. And now I know why. But hopefully, you’ll see this site becoming more personalized each time you visit.
And so, here’s a recipe and a post simply so I can take a break from my tech-heavy day. 
My friends Tyler and Adrienne were giving away a couple of overgrown zucchinis this weekend, which was perfect because I’ve had a zucchini noodle recipes sitting on top for weeks now. Zoodles can be made with a Spiralizer®, a mandolin, or a really good vegetable peeler (my tool of choice). Because overgrown zucchinis are a bit tough, they make perfect zoodles.
Zucchini Noodles with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Benissimo Roasted Garlic Olive Oil or regular olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 medium zucchini made into noodles using a spiralizer, a mandolin, or a vegetable peeler
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh basil
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- 1/4 cup toasted almond slices
- Grated Romano or parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400ºF.
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Toss the heirloom cherry tomatoes with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15 – 20 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to burst. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
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Heat 2 tablespoons of garlic-infused or regular olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and add the minced garlic. Heat for 1 minute, until fragrant, then add the zucchini noodles. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the zucchini noodles begin to soften, then add the tomatoes and all of their juices, the fresh lemon juice and zest and salt and pepper, to taste. You can also add red pepper flakes to taste, if you desire. Toss to combine.
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Serve the noodles topped with freshly chopped basil, toasted almond slices and freshly grated cheese, if you’d like. Enjoy!
What to do differently: If you’re eating it as a main dish, I suggest adding some protein to make it “stick.” It would pair well with a lemon chicken breast.
My rating: 4.5/5 stars. I’ll definitely make this again. It was easy. It’s mostly a plate of vegetables, so it was right up my alley. I liked the contrast of the softer noodles with the crunchy almonds — just be sure to add those last so they don’t get soggy.
The BBF’s rating: The BBF hasn’t tasted it yet. I’m going to guess he will give it a 4/5 stars because it’s not made out of steak, but deep down he really likes it.
To purchase Benissimo Olive Oil, click on the picture below:
You will need one of these tools to make ZOODLES!
