A Wonderful Summer Salad!

Last summer, I would never have thought to eat zucchini raw.  It just never occurred to me.

I know.  Weird, right?  I think it is anyway ;)

This summer, thanks to my determination to find healthful recipes that actually have flavor, I'm rediscovering my love of raw vegetables, which includes zucchini, now.

smitten kitchen put up a recipe for Zucchini and Almond Pasta Salad, and it induced yet another taste party in my mouth!  I love that it's a cold salad.  It's even better that it's a pasta salad without mayo!  Check out smitten kitchen for the original recipe.  Below is what I did to make it more my own.

Zucchini and Almond Pasta Salad
1 pound zucchini, halved lengthwise and then very thinly sliced (think carpaccio)
1 teaspoon salt
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced, toasted almonds
2 cups small cauliflower florets (I mean small, like micro, tip of the finger sized florets)
1/2 pound of whole wheat rotini, cooked, drained and cooled
10 tablespoons of olive oil
Juice of 4 lemons
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of garlic powder
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

First, take the zucchini slices and toss them with the salt in a large colander.  Allow the zucchini slices to drain over a bowl or in the sink for approximately 20 minutes.  I rinsed and then allowed them to drain again, to get rid of excess salt taste.

Mix zucchini slices, almonds, Parmesan cheese, noodles, cauliflower together.  Whisk olive oil and lemon juice together, seasoning with black pepper and garlic powder to taste.  Toss dressing with salad.  Voila!  Nummers.

I'd share a photo, but kiddo has absconded with the camera.  Maybe if I find it...

But for the next time I make this, I think I'll include broccoli florets.  I bet they'd taste amazing with the dressing.  And I might consider switching out the Parmesan cheese for feta, but that's a tough call.  Maybe I'll just buy both and do a side-by-side tasting.