Zucchini Noodles with Rocket, Lemon, and Capers

People are always asking me how I eat so many vegetables. Today I am going to share with you one of my tricks. I adapted this pasta recipe from a published Donna Hay recipe. Regular readers already know one trick that I used: I replaced the spaghetti with zucchini (courgette) noodles. But today I want to talk about another trick.

The published recipe was for four people. It called for 2 c of rocket (about 50 g), as well as 2 garlic cloves, 2 red chillies, 1/4 c of capers, and so on. I was making this just for my husband and me. I used the same amounts of all the small ingredients (the garlic, chillies, and capers) but doubled the rocket. And since it was to be divided between only two portions, the proportion of rocket was four times the size of the original recipe.

And how did it taste? Just fine! Lemon, rocket, and capers are the taste of summer. Having the extra rocket just emphasized the lemony zing and the salty capers.

My husband's bowl (above left) contained some extra wheat pasta and tuna. He is not as grain-free as me, with my zucchini noodles. Here's the recipe for two people who want to eat zucchini noodles.

Zucchini Noodles with Rocket, Lemon, and Capers
adapted from Modern Classics: Book 1 by Donna Hay
serves 2 - 3

The zucchini (courgette) noodles are made using a spiraliser, or you can use a julienne peeler or a mandoline. These noodles don't need to be cooked. They are warmed slightly by adding them to the hot pan at the end of the recipe. The cooking time is very brief (only two minutes), so have everything ready before you begin.

2 large zucchini (about 400 g in total)
2 garlic cloves
1/4 c (60 ml or 4 T) capers
2 long red chillies
1 lemon
2 T mild olive oil
4 c (100 g) rocket (arugula) leaves
1/2 c (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese

Start by spiralising the zucchini and set the noodles aside.
Mince the garlic cloves. Drain and rinse the capers. Deseed and slice the red chillies. Zest and juice the lemon.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan.
Add the garlic and capers and cook for one minute. Add the chillies, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cook for one minute more.
Remove from the heat and add the zucchini noodles and the rocket leaves.

Pass the Parmesan cheese at the table.

This dish is part of our Wednesdays with Donna Hay blogging group. If you want to join us, next week we are making green olive baked chicken from Off the Shelf. You are welcome to join us; no long term commitment is required. Visit the others in my blogging group to see if they liked the recipe.

Also, I am submitting this recipe to Extra Veg, hosted by Fuss Free Flavours and Utterly Scrummy. Have a look for lots of ideas about how to eat extra vegetables!

Do you have tricks to share to eat more vegetables?

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