This recipe for raw zucchini noodles with pesto and tomatoes is one of the simplest ways to turn your food into medicine. The whole recipe takes only a few minutes and it’s so healing and fresh tasting — it’s a keeper!

I have always wanted to love zucchini noodles/zoodles/zucchini spaghetti — whatever you want to call it. I really really really want to like this ever-so-healthy veggie noodle as much as I like every type of pasta on the planet.

Well, I’ve finally figured out how I like zucchini noodles! And I even like them raw now!

Here’s my secret: lots of high-quality olive oil. I marinate my zoodles in a great tasting olive oil (my favorite right now is Kasandrinos Extra-Virgin olive oil), Himalayan salt, and freshly ground black pepper. The noodles, even though not cooked at all, end up having the best texture and taste. And, after they have marinated a bit, then I top it with whatever I’m feeling at the moment.

Olive oil is one of the world’s healthiest fats! Read my article on The Healing Power Of Olive Oil to learn more about this — believe me, you’ll be using this healing oil on everything!

The pesto in this recipe is vegan and it’s made with arugula, basil, and garlic, and of course olive oil!

This marinating step was an epiphany for me — I really do like zoodles! I know I’m a bit late to the party, but better late than never…

Here in New York City, where we are lucky enough to be able to walk a few blocks and find every type of pre-cut vegetable noodle, it was just sad that I wasn’t out there grabbing these beauties every time I saw them. And, as a wellness consultant in Manhattan, my clients were buying up the stock of these grain-free pastas and asking me how to prepare them. Everyone seemed to love them but me… well, it’s nice to be one of the crowd now!

I love to customize recipes for specific health concerns. So, when my clients ask me to put on my health coach and chef’s hat, I often customize faux pasta recipes for their specific needs.  Let me customize a grain-free pasta recipe for you that will work for whatever’s going on in your body now… I’m such a geek that I really do get excited about doing this. So CLICK HERE to be taken directly into my calendar to sign up for your free phone consultation… I’d love to create a vegetable noodle recipe that addresses your specific needs!

Yes, you can stay healthy when everyone else is sick, so download my free Boost Your Immune System ebook.

I urge you to try the many types of vegetable noodles available. If you live in a city like I do, you can walk into Whole Foods or go to the local farmers market and grab a container of them. If not, you can purchase a spiralizer and make them pretty easily yourself.

Another trick I love, is to mix vegetable noodles with buckwheat noodles. This creates a dish that really has the bite of a traditional pasta. You can try this technique in my recipe for Szechuan Zoodles. And, for another great take on a simpler noodle, try these Zoodles With Raw Tomato Basil Sauce.

Here are some of the great healing ingredients in this Raw Zucchini Noodles With Pesto And Tomatoes recipe:

Zucchini cools your body off and makes you feel better during those hot days of summer. It helps your body release excess heat and it will make your mind feel more calm.

Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is actually a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc….

Arugula has a good amount of calcium and it also contains vitamins A, C and K. It is rich in potassium and it’s extra beneficial in the summer because it actually cools the body down. This delicious peppery green is also believed to be a libido booster. One of the first things I learned when I started really taking care of my health through proper nutrition, was to substitute dark greens for lighter greens whenever possible. One of the easiest, tastiest, and healthiest switches you can make is to swap out some of your lighter salad greens for peppery, dark arugula.

Basil has anti-viral and anti-bacterial capabilities. It also is good for settling your stomach, and it’s good at lessening the symptoms of the common cold and its accompanying cough. Basil is a spiritual herb — the scent actually calms you; you can boil some in a pot and let the aroma fill the air, you can just leave some around the house, you can toss a bunch in your bath water (I love to do this), or you can use an essential oil with basil to get some great calming effects.

In Chinese medicine, we use tomatoes to aid in digestion and to help detoxify the body. They are also good to combat excess cholesterol, lessen inflammation and curb asthma. Tomatoes can also quench thirst, and they can help fight some kidney infections.

If you make this Raw Zucchini Noodles With Pesto And Tomatoes recipe, please be sure to let me know in the comments below. I love hearing how you like a recipe, and I love to answer your questions! If you make it, be sure to take a photo and tag me and post it on Instagram.