Creamy Zucchini Alfredo

Spiraled zucchini with Alfredo sauce and diced tomatoes

I live in south Texas, and it's hot in July! It is 104 degrees today, and that demands something fresh, wonderful, and not cooked in a hot oven for dinner, don't you think? Maybe like me, this wonderful season has brought you a bounty of fresh zucchini or crook neck squash, and you are looking for a new recipe for them. If the last thing you want to do is crank up the oven or the wok for dinner, then this recipe is for you!  This recipe is NO- COOK, mostly raw, easy, healthy deliciousness! To be completely raw just make sure your pine nuts are raw and use fresh diced tomatoes instead of canned. 
Speaking of canned tomatoes, I urge you to only buy tomatoes in a glass jar or a can specifically labeled "NO BPA". The BPA (plastic) lining used in most canned tomatoes is extremely toxic! The acid in tomatoes breaks down the particles of the lining and allows the toxic BPA to leach into the food. Eden organics have ta line of tomatoes in glass, and some of the Muir Glen Organics are BPA safe, but not all! Read the labels carefully.

Look for this on the back of cans

Organic and BPA free!

Creamy Zucchini Alfredo for Two (Two ways!)

Kitchen equipment needed:

Blender
measuring cup, teaspoon, tablespoon
lemon aqueezer or citrus juicer
Spiralizer or Mandoline Slicer


Ingredients

2-3 Zucchini squash, spiral cut for "pasta", or mandoline sliced for "lasagna" stacks
1 1/2 cups raw pine nuts, soaked for one hour
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup filtered water 
1 can Muir Glen BPA free Diced Roasted Tomatoes, drained
1 Tbsp. Nutritional yeast
4-5 button or portabella mushrooms, sliced and then halved
1/2 tsp Himalayan or Sea Salt
freshly ground black pepper
fresh basil leaf for garnish *optional

For Zucchini Pasta with Alfredo sauce:
1. Cut the end off the squash and spiral cut them, place in a strainer or colander to drain the water you just released while making the sauce.
2. Drain the pine nuts and place in blender with lemon juice, 1/2 cup fresh water, nutritional yeast, and salt. Blend until smooth
3. Place half of 'noodles' in a heaping pile in each of 2 shallow bowls and top with pine nut sauce and tomatoes and a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper. 
4. Garnish with fresh basil and serve!

For Lasagna Stacks:
1. Slice zucchini lengthwise with the mandolin slicer.  
2. Prepare pine nut sauce as in step 2 above, BUT use less water to make it thick enough to sit on the stack and not run out.
3. Layer zucchini, pine nut sauce, mushrooms, zucchini, tomatoes, zucchini, pine nut sauce, mushrooms, zucchini, and top with a dollop of pine nut sauce, a few mushrooms, a bit of tomato, and a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper. Prepare about 4-6 stacks per plate.
4. Garnish with fresh basil and serve!

Sliced zucchini "Lasagna" stacks