Long strands of yellow and green zucchini lighten up a pasta dish, whether combined with spaghetti seasoned with lemon juice and zest, or here, served in a delicious, spicy and creamy Thai–inspired coconut milk sauce with green curry and Thai basil. The strands are also good as a salad lightly dressed with olive oil and vinegar, or steamed as a vegetable dish. If your zucchini is big and seedy, shredding the edges down to the core eliminates those less desirable sections, which can be stewed and combined with a vegetable stuffing. 

Zucchini Noodles in Green Curry Sauce with Thai Basil

1 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk (I used light)

1 tbsp green curry paste

1 lime, peel removed with a vegetable peeler, and juiced

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp fish sauce (optional)

Asian noodles (I used wheat lo mein noodles, but rice or soba noodles would be good)

2-3 scallions, white and light green sections, slivered vertically

1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Vegetable oil

1 green zucchini, shredded lengthwise

1 yellow zucchini, shred lengthwise

½ c Thai basil leaves

Place the coconut milk, green curry paste and lime peel in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve the green curry paste. Remove the lime peel and add the lime juice, brown sugar and optional fish sauce. Meanwhile, cook the noodles until al dente, drain them and add them to the warm coconut milk sauce. Lightly sauté the scallions and garlic and add to the noodle mixture. Reserve some of the raw zucchini, and add the rest to the coconut milk sauce, stirring to combine and lightly cook the zucchini (this can be done off the stove since the liquid should cook the vegetables. Add the Thai basil to wilt and, just before serving, add the reserved shredded zucchini.

Serves 4

Categories: Herbs, Pasta, Spice Rack Challenge, ZucchiniTags: Using Thai basil, Zucchini Noodles