Zucchini Noodles with Fresh & Easy Pasta Sauce

My inspiration for this recipe is my mother-in-laws family pasta recipe dish called Penne al Peprone. It is a delicious, cheesy pasta dish that an Italian friend passed down to my mother-in-law. In the past at family gatherings my mother-n-law would lovingly make this favorite paired with warm garlic bread and a good glass of wine. It was delicious! It was a must to find something that could replace this for my immediate family. Even though it is loved by all members of my family it still is a close second to the original!

To make the zucchini noodles a veggie spiraler will be needed.

Zucchini Noodles

• 4 zucchini or 2 pounds

• 2 tsp salt

Spiral the zucchini then put into a colander with salt and toss. Let it sit in the colander for 15 minutes and rinse thoroughly. Cut noodles into smaller sections to keep from tangling into one big ball. Lastly, drain the noodles on a dishtowel to rid noodles of excess moisture.

Fresh and Easy Pasta Sauce

• 4 cloves crushed garlic

• ½ pound good quality Italian sausage

• 2 pints of cherry tomatoes

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 1 handful of basil chopped

• Optional grated Parmesan cheese

• Salt and pepper

Put olive oil in a 12-inch saucepan on medium high heat. Add garlic until fragrant. Next add sausage to garlic. Cooked sausage until done, then add tomato cook for 20 minutes covered, stirring a few times. Add prepared zucchini noodles to pan and stir until incorporated well. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with basil and Parmesan (for the dairy tolerant)

Here is the veggie spiralizer I use and love.