Sesame Zoodles: Zucchini-Carrot Pasta with Tahini Sauce
Noodles made of vegetables with a creamy and tasty tahini sauce. A simple, vegan, healthy and delicious recipe!
Why you should make this recipe:
- vegan, plantbased, gluten-free
- very simple and fast preparation, perfect for beginners
- the tahini sauce is super creamy and tasty
- few ingredients are needed
- a rainbow of vegetables on your plate
- works as a salad, light meal or side dish
What are zoodles?
The name ‘zoodles’ is a mixture between the words zucchini and noodles. Simply cut zucchini or other vegetables into long strips and enjoy them hot or cold with a sauce. The shape of the strips is very similar to pasta like tagliatelle or spaghetti.
Zoodles are often promoted as a healthy alternative to noodles, but you should know that noodles are not unhealthy! They contain carbohydrates that give you enough energy for your daily life. That’s why I think you could make the dish if you’re not that hungry or serve it as a side dish and not because you want to save the calories from the pasta.
And if you’re really hungry, you can add spaghetti to the zoodles for a delicious pasta dish that will make you feel good and full.
Creamy tahini sauce
The sauce is refreshing, slightly spicy, enhanced with a squeeze of lemon and super delicious! The basic ingredient is tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds. You can find tahini in most big supermarkets and organic food stores, and the sesame paste consists of exactly one ingredient: sesame seeds. They’re mixed until a fine, creamy paste is formed. Additional ingredients for the sauce:
- Lemon juice: provides a refreshing note and some acidity
- Soy sauce: brings spice into the sauce and you don’t need to add any salt
- Spiciness: using chili flakes, tabasco or siracha
- Agave syrup or rice syrup: provides a balance between all the strong ingredients
- Garlic: finely chopped or ground
Topping ideas
You can serve the zoodles warm or cold. And when it comes to toppings, the possibilities are endless. I sliced some red cabbage thinly and sprinkled it over the zoodles. This makes the plate even more colorful and delicious. I also sprinkled sesame seeds on top and fresh herbs like cilantro would work perfect too.
For some protein, I added chicken strips made from soy and fried in a pan. You could also roast tofu and deglaze it with soy sauce, or bake it in the oven with a marinade and then serve it on top of the zoodles.
If you make the recipe, feel free to give me a feedback or write a comment on how it turned out. And if you share your homemade dish with your friends on social media, I would be very grateful when you link me (Instagram @flavour. dreams) and set the hashtag #flavourdreams. Of course I am always available for questions. Enjoy to try the recipe!
Sesame Zoodles: Zucchini-Carrot Pasta with Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 carrots
- 2 zucchini
Tahini sauce
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp agave, rice or maple sirup
- juice of ½ a lemon
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp ground garlic or a small garlic clove finely minced
Topping ideas
- finely chopped red cabbage
- chicken strips made of soy or fried tofu
- white and black sesame seeds
- fresh herbs like coriander
Instructions
- Wash the zucchini and peel the carrots. Then take the carrot peeler and peel thin strips along the length of the zucchini and carrots until the whole vegetable is sliced like this. If you don’t want to eat the vegetables raw and cold, you can fry them briefly in a pan (I ate the vegetables raw).
- Thoroughly combine all the ingredients for the tahini sauce.
- Add the zucchini and carrot strips to the tahini sauce and serve them with the toppings.
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