GLUTEN-FREE ZUCCHINI PASTA PRIMAVERA

Gluten-Free Zucchini Pasta Primavera image

Pasta primavera is Italian for springtime pasta, with a focus on bountiful spring veggies. Rather than being light, most versions of pasta primavera include a rich cream and Parmesan sauce over pasta - no one's definition of healthful! Replace the pasta with zucchini "noodles" and create a "cream" sauce made of cashew butter to transform this dish into a slimmer, sexier version of its former self.

Provided by Food Network

Time 45m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli florets
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup 1/4-inch-thick half-moon slices onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups 1/4-inch-thick sliced white mushrooms
1 cup 1/4-inch-thick sliced carrots
1 cup 1/4-inch-thick sliced red bell peppers
1 cup unsalted chicken broth
3 tablespoons cashew butter
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound zucchini, cut into long strands with a julienne peeler or mandolin

Steps:

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green, tender-crisp and slightly undercooked, 2 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, carrots and peppers, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are fork tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Combine with the broccoli.
Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; immediately reduce the heat to low and whisk in the cashew butter until the mixture is smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice and the mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Gently toss with the vegetables.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat; add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve the zucchini "pasta" topped with the vegetables.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 236 calorie, Fat 16.8 grams, SaturatedFat 2.7 grams, Cholesterol 0 milligrams, Sodium 269 milligrams, Carbohydrate 18.7 grams, Fiber 5.3 grams, Protein 7 grams, Sugar 7.3 grams