Happy summer everyone, it’s official! Summer is all about keeping meals fresh, light, and making healthier alternatives to classic dishes often shared at potlucks, BBQ’s, or holidays. It’s also one of the best seasons in my opinion to use fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs in dishes where their flavors can shine through in a simple way. Fig Zucchini Pasta with Hemp Seed Crumble does just that, it’s fun and simple to make, loaded with fresh zucchini, sweet figs, creamy avocado, and a special topping that you’re all going to start putting on everything– I promise it’s that good.

The topping is similar to a grated parmesan in texture, but far from it– it’s dairy free and loaded with healthy fats, fiber, protein, and tastes spot on! I’ve talked about figs and why I love them here for digestion, but let me just say it again, figs are awesome. Figs are loaded with fiber and you can tell just by looking at the inside where they house tiny seeds; they’re also rich in potassium, calcium, copper and manganese. Zucchini is just as great, it’s both fiber and water rich giving you a fuller feeling without the calories adding up as it would from traditional pasta, it truly is a pasta you can eat large amounts of guilt free. Added bonus, it’s an easy way to sneak in another serving of vegetables in your day and it’s naturally gluten free.

What’s zucchini pasta? Zoodles (a.k.a. zucchini noodles or pasta) is simply zucchini cut or spiralized in a way that resembles noodles! I debuted these noodles last year with my Raw Beet Marinara and Zucchini Noodles recipe which was a hit and still enjoyed in my kitchen. Zucchini pasta is such a great way to enjoy the feeling of eating a larger volume of pasta without going overboard on your carbohydrates for the day, which is incredibly easy once you figure out how much a portion of pasta is (it’s not much!). These noodles are delicious with anything from plain marinara sauce, drizzled olive oil and lemon, to adding stir fry vegetables on top instead of using rice- the uses are truly endless and I hope that this recipe will be a first, if not second time you try zucchini pasta.

I’ve made this recipe many times last summer and was reminded of it when I saw these beautiful fresh local zucchinis this past weekend and jumped at the thought of sharing this super simple dish with you all. I love keeping it simple and enjoying this recipe as is, but occasionally I’ll want it to be a bit more satiating so I’ll add more protein from beans, more hemp seeds, or extra avocado. Also, you can switch up the dressing by using some of my favorites that would go perfectly well with this dish, especially the Spinach Basil Pesto— I love the use of figs with basil, it’s such a great combination. This is a great pasta dish to share with friends and family at parties or to simply make for two at home because it allows a lot of versatility with the ingredients you can add in, such as proteins and more ideas I’ve listed below. For example, I’ll make this at home for my love and I and he’ll eat it with chicken or extra good fats and I may enjoy it with extra hemp seeds, chickpeas, or wild caught fish- depending on the mood.

Make it a meal // add the following ingredients to make this recipe a more hearty meal with more protein or healthy fats:

3 tablespoons of hemp seeds,

1/2-1 cup of beans (like chickpeas, kidney beans, etc.),

1/2-1 cup lentils

1/2-1 cup quinoa or millet

a serving of organic tempeh or organic tofu

a serving of wild caught fish, hard boiled farm fresh eggs, or other animal proteins following the NS philosophy,

1/2 avocado

1/4-1/2 cup nuts (like walnuts, chopped almonds, etc.)

I use a spiralizer to make these zucchini pasta noodles, but you can also use a mandolin, vegetable peeler (for larger noodles), or this spiralizer. Here’s a quick primer on how to make zucchini pasta:

ZUCCHINI PASTA //

Cut the end off each zucchini, one at a time.

Depending on your spiralizer model, lock in the zucchini standing straight or side ways. Use the directions for your spiralizer machine.

If using a peeler, simply run the vegetable peeler long ways to create thin zucchini strips.

If using a mandolin, use the thinnest blade and run the zucchini long ways to create thin strips.

Fig Zucchini Pasta Recipe Type : entree Author: McKel Hill, MS, RD, LDN Prep time: 10 mins Total time: 10 mins Serves: 2 A raw pasta dish made from zucchini noodles, fresh figs, and avocado. Topped with Hemp Seed Crumble for a satisfying yet simple summer dish. Raw VGN Paleo GF Ingredients 2 large zucchini, spiralized

2 cups fresh figs (about 150g), quartered

1/2 avocado, diced

juice of 1 lemon

1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

sea salt and black pepper to taste Instructions Spiralize your zucchini from the instructions in the blog post or using your machines instructions. Place in a large bowl. Add chopped figs and diced avocado and stir. Juice one lemon on top of the noodles and figs, drizzle high quality olive oil, and add sea salt and black pepper to taste. Topp with Hemp Seed Crumble and add additional proteins if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy cool or at room temperature. 3.2.2700

Hemp Seed Crumble Cuisine: side Author: McKel Hill, MS, RD, LDN Prep time: 5 mins Total time: 5 mins Serves: 8+ A delicious vegan alternative to parmesan cheese, made with only nuts, seeds, and nutritional yeast. Ingredients 1/3 cup walnuts, raw

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted or raw

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

pinch of sea salt

1 clove of garlic Instructions Pulse in a nut/seed grinder or food processor the walnuts, hemp seeds, pine nuts, garlic, and nutritional yeast until it resembles a crumble. Add in sea salt to taste. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. 3.2.2700

I think you’re all going to love this raw inspired summer dish! Tag me with your recreations of this so I can see your interpretation and how you made it. Hope you all have a beautiful day and stay tuned later this week for a super special treat and a surprise guest I’m introducing you all to!

xx McKel

Nutrition Stripped news // Check out my latest article in Food Network! All about smoothie bowls and why they’re the new breakfast.