(raw zucchini) spaghetti with sun-dried tomato pesto

It's hot this time of year, and I'm craving healthy, delicious meals. I want meals I can either make ahead, or whip up quickly... and ideally, things everyone will enjoy. The other afternoon, I set aside some time to cook for a few meals. One thing I made was the sauce for this raw "spaghetti". With that done a few days ago, dinner came together quickly tonight.

There was no measuring, just adding + tasting to arrive at this delicious combo, so steer clear if you're someone who likes a detailed recipe.

Here's what went into the sauce:

Raw Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

about 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (re-hydrated in water for about 15 minutes... save the H2O)

about 1 cup raw cashews (soaked in water for about 15 minutes too, toss that H2O)

1 white onion, chopped

about 3 cloves of garlic

about 6 (pitted) kalamata olives

zest of one lemon

enough water (from the sun-dried tomato soaking) to arrive at desired consistency

Pulse all ingredients in a Cuisinart, until desired consistency and taste. Will store for several days in fridge. Makes an excellent pasta sauce, raw zucchini "spaghetti" sauce, dip or spread. (I added enough water to ours until it was the consistency of hummus.)

We had our sauce over raw "spaghetti" (thinly shredded zucchini), because the zucchini was fresh and cheap at the local market. Plus, I invested in a random kitchen tool that I thought looked super cool during my raw week... and it is! Pop a few inches of whatever veggie you want into the spiralizer, crank with your hand, and voila-- either spaghetti-like strands or pretty ribbon-like pieces ready to enjoy. Pretty neat!

I gave everyone some of the raw zucchini "pasta" (which I did not peel... the instructions tell you to peel your veggies, but I never do)....

topped it with a hearty dollop of the sun-dried tomato sauce...

and topped each dish with some fresh tomatoes and pine nuts for texture and flavor. It was delicious. Everyone raved.

And yes (since I know you're wondering), I did make this the kids' dinner too...

and they loved it. I definitely encourage you to give this recipe a whirl this summer. It's packed with nutritious goodness, and is so, so delicious!