Creamy Pesto “Pasta” with Spring VegetablesSERVES: 4 from Georgia

Looking for a delicious springtime veggie recipe that's low in carbs & free of heavy dairy products? Try this Creamy Pesto "Pasta" with Spring Veggies. You can use a vegetable peeler to create fettuccine style or a spiralizer like Veggetti  to make spaghetti style noodles.
 
Ingredients:

• 4 medium zucchini, peeled and sliced into thin noodles
• 1 cup asparagus pieces
• 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 2 ounces prosciutto (omit for vegan and add ¼ teaspoon salt)
• ½ cup frozen peas (omit if you’d like for Paleo)
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 4 cups boiling water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• dash of white pepper
• dash of nutmeg
• Garnish with toasted pine nuts and fresh basil

Instructions:

1. Boil the 4 cups water, then pour it over the cashews. Soak them in the boiling water for 30 minutes.
2. Bring another large pot of water to a boil, then add the zucchini noodles and blanch quickly for 1-2 minutes. Remove the noodles with a slotted spoon and place in a colander. Immediately run cold water over them then turn them out onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Set off to the side until your sauce is done.
3. Add the asparagus to the same pot of water and cook for about 3 minutes until tender but still crisp. Drain the water and set the asparagus off to the side.
4. Sauté the prosciutto and mushrooms in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Reduce heat to low while you make the sauce.
5. Drain the cashews, but reserve the soaking water. Blend the cashews with 1 cup of the soaking water in a blender. Add the lemon juice, nutmeg, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic and blend to a smooth sauce.
6. Add the sauce, asparagus, and the peas to the mushrooms and prosciutto and simmer for 7-10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and remove from heat. If your sauce is a little too thick, add a bit of the cashew water to help thin it out.
7. Serve the sauce over the zucchini noodles garnished with toasted pine nuts and fresh basil.
8. The pasta will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Some water will gather at the bottom of your container because of the zucchini. You can drain it before heating, or simply stir it into the sauce to help thin it as it thickens when chilled.