Raw zucchini noodles are topped with fresh cherry tomatoes and a tangy caper olive sauce in this fresh and quick no-cook dish.
Long sunny days and warm evenings mean the stove and the oven get used a little less around often around here. Meals are lighter, fresher and piled high with vegetables, and when temperatures climb a bowl of cool slippery noodles always hits the spot.
My infatuation with vegetable noodles continues with this fresh take on pasta puttanesca. Just a few minutes is all it takes to create a bowl full of zucchini noodles topped with a tangy caper olive sauce and juicy sweet cherry tomatoes.
It’s an ideal meal to make in the summer months when zucchini and tomatoes are at their most plentiful. This simple dish relies on fresh basil and tomatoes for its liveliness, while olives, garlic and capers give a robust flavor to the sauce.
The garlic, capers and olives and a good pinch of red pepper are finely minced together to create a chunky tapenade-like base in which the tomatoes are marinated along with a good pour of fruity olive oil. The red pepper adds a subtle amount of heat, but feel free to increase it if you prefer a spicer sauce.
In the meantime a julienne peeler or spiralizer makes quick work of the zucchini, creating a pile of tender, silky noodles that you can twist around your fork.
What results is a wonderfully fresh, briny, spicy vegetable “pasta” that’s filled with the flavors of the Mediterranean, not to mention that it goes beautifully with a crisp glass of rosé, so pour yourself a glass while you throw it together.
Have you made zucchini noodles before?
Zucchini Noodles with Caper Olive Sauce and Fresh Tomatoes
Just a few minutes are all it takes to create a bowl full of zucchini noodles topped with a tangy caper olive sauce and juicy sweet cherry tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1 Tablespoon salt packed capers, drained and rinsed (plus more to top)
- ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- A pinch of red pepper flakes
- 10-15 kalamata olives, pitted (plus more to top)
- 2 Tablespoons/30ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 8oz/ 227g cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 small handful fresh basil leaves, roughly torn or cut into ribbons
- 4 to 5 large zucchini, ends trimmed
- The juice of half a lemon
Instructions
- Place the garlic, capers , salt, red pepper flakes and olives , on a cutting board and run a chef’s knife through a few times, then mash with the flat side of the knife to make a chunky paste similar to tapenade.
- Transfer to a large bowl and add the olive oil, tomatoes, and basil. Set aside to marinate for at least 10-15 minutes.
- In the meantime prepare the zucchini noodles
- Using a spiralizer or julienne peeler , create long strips of zucchini noodles. Toss the noodles with the lemon juice and add to the tomato mixture.
- Toss gently and serve with additional capers, olives and basil on top if desired.
Notes
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Paleo, Raw
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
serves 4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 580mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 3gSugar: 12gProtein: 3g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Jeanette | Jeanette's Healthy Living says
Love the briny flavors in your zucchini noodles! Looks so pretty Sylvie!
ashley says
This recipe sounds so simple and elegant - I love it!
Susan says
This recipe sounds intriguing - I'm not a great fan of olives or capers, but I could see doing this.
I've made zucchini noodles twice now, and love them. It's easy and that is the only way I've found that I really like zucchini (If I sound like a picky eater, I'm not; there are just a few things that I've never liked much). I think that buying a spiralizer is one of the smartest things I've done for my kitchen. I also love it that when you give people zucchini noodles, they don't realize that they aren't eating pasta.
Terri says
Love the combo of flavors. YUM!
Natalia says
It looks so good!
Millie l Add A Little says
Looks so simple but so delicious! I'd also love trying out serving this as a salad along side a barbecue by shaving thin slices of courgette!
Cuisinedeprovence says
Can't wait to try this - it looks delicious!
Rosa says
A wonderful idea and fresh dish!
cheers,
Rosa
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
I love zuke noodles and your salad is so elegant and gorgeous, Sylvie! You do zucchini very proud! pinned
Kyla says
I love Zucchini! I have only attempted to make zucchini noodles before, and that didn't quite work out so well. On another note, these look amazing! This recipe will be put on my baking "to-do list". Thanks for the recipe! (: