Zucchini Pasta with Basil and Scallions

Call it pasta. Call it salad. Just don't call it pasta salad. Using a vegetable as a "noodle" is a great way to keep your kitchen cool in the summer. There is no heat applied and every ingredient can come straight from the fridge. All you need are a few good knife skills (and maybe a mandoline) to create very thin noodle-like strands from vegetables. My noodles ended up about a 1/16th of an inch thick: perfect for a noodle. Add a little bit of extra flavorings and you are ready for dinner.

5 zucchini
2 large bunches of fresh basil
6 scallions
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Take the zucchini and slice into very thin slices with a sharp chef's knife or on a mandoline. Stack the slices to recreate the original shape of the zucchini. With your knife, slice into 1/16th of an inch strips. Place all zucchini noodles into a colander and lightly salt. Let sit for 30 minutes to pull excess moisture out of the vegetables. Move to a large bowl. Chop basil into very thin pieces, like a chiffonade. Add to zucchini. Slice the greens of the scallions and add to the noodles. Season with salt and pepper, and add olive oil and vinegar. Toss well to coat each noodle with the dressing.

Feel free to add any of these ingredients to make the dish even better: lemon juice, crushed red pepper, thinly sliced garlic, goat cheese, pine nuts, mustard......

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