Dietitian Spotlight: Veggie Noodle with Pistachio Red Pepper Sauce

Veggie noodles are the pasta lover’s healthy alternative. Some people could eat pasta every day, and now you definitely can with healthier benefits.

You can easily transform all sorts of vegetables into noodles. Some of the most popular are zucchini, carrot and squash noodles; the list could go on and on though. Using veggie noodles adds more vitamins, minerals, fiber and flavor into your diet that are lacking in regular pasta noodles. Not to mention, they’re a great gluten-free option while minimizing your carbohydrate intake.

You’re probably wondering how in the world you can make a noodle out of a vegetable. One way would be to use a spiralizer, but if you don’t have one, we carry already prepared veggie noodles to help make this recipe easier and quicker.

Another great component of this recipe is the pistachios. Pistachios actually have great nutritional value and are an extremely versatile product. They are perfect for a snack, on top of a salad or, in this case, part of a recipe. Like we said, they have great nutritional value. They will provide your body with good fats and several antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are, however, high in calories so be aware of portion sizes.

While they do provide several nutritional benefits, they’re still a nut and may cause an allergic reaction for those that are allergic so be mindful when consuming them.

Veggie Noodle with Pistachio Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pistachios

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup onion, diced

• 4 garlic cloves

• 1, 16 ounce jar roasted red pepeprs

• 1 cup mushrooms

• 2/3 cup low sodium chicken broth

• 1/2 cup feta cheese

• 1 pound veggie noodle

• salt and pepper

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp dried basil

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add Minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add roasted red peppers and mushrooms until heated through. Stir to combine ingredients.

2. Pour broth into vegetable mixture, then add Wonderful Pistachios, all but 2 tablespoons of the feta cheese, season salt, ground pepper, oregano and dried basil. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Process ingredients until combined and smooth.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve up to 1/2 cup of pasta water. Toss pasta with red pepper sauce, adding pasta water to thin sauce to desired consistency.

4. Serve and garnish with remaining feta cheese and crushed Wonderful Pistachios.