Zucchini???? But I want Pasta, Italian food!!!!

Since I am part Italian, I always thought that life without pasta was not life and so I grew up with pasta as a staple in my meals. Little did I know or imagine there is an allergy to gluten (main part of anything made of wheat, processed or not) so when I met this girl who used to not only get bloated but her legs would literally inflate in seconds, I knew there was something very wrong with it, but since that was my staple how could I keep my friends and my beloved pasta together?

If I had actually looked for a solution I would have never found it; I always thought that nothing but my mother's food could satisfy my voracious appetite.... But, here I was shredding pounds and looking for new ways to eat without carbs (yes, I've been evading my staple) but I couldn't do it any longer!! One blessed day my daughter took me to a restaurant, because she thought if I ate out maybe I would forget about my biggest craving, "The Pasta," and I thought well if I cannot eat pasta at least I will enjoy my sweet daughter's company and I will eat the craziest food they may have, asking them to remove any carb on it. So there we were in this amazing restaurant my daughter wanted to try and I was reading the menu, when something started "whispering" my name, but as soon as I looked at it, there it was, that wonderful word... "PASTA" and you.... Well most of you, know I am a one-mind-set-decision woman, so I looked away, and there were a few exquisite selection of dishes but nothing appealed to me, I wanted that pasta, so there it is! The reason why people get into a "Yo Yo lifestyle;" I said to myself as an excuse "I will have it and go back to my diet tonight, only my daughter will know and she won't sell me out", so I looked at her with a guilty face and said "I will have the pasta", she looked at me a little confused, then at the menu and again at me and she said "good choice mom! I am so proud of you, to come to this place and get the best choice you can".... Hey! Can you imagine she was cheering on my choice?! Either I went crazy or she didn't understand, so I decide not to ask her about it but to give my choice a second look, well let me tell you she wasn't crazy I only read Pasta but the dish was called "I can't believe it's not PASTA" before I could finish reading my daughter was telling the waitress what we wanted and like that I had ask for my first non-pasta dish... Just so you know, I have recreated it so many times that now I may say I am in love again.

"I can't Believe I... may have something like Pasta.

1 big zucchini sliced just like julienned

1/2 cup of marinara

3 tbsp of coconut cream (I use milk, cream, half and half...or what ever I may have in my pantry)

1/4 cup of mozzarella.. today I used a couple of  mozzarella sticks instead

Parmesan cheese for taste

Salt

Preparation:

Place the zucchini in a plate or in a colander and sprinkle with salt, 

While that is going on for a few minutes you may heat the marinara to almost boiling point,

Wash the zucchini removing all the salt, let the water run a minute over it and dry it as much as you can, put the cream in the sauce and mix..... Let it boil once.

 then add the mozzarella, turn off the heat and mix it well until the mozzarella is all gooey

It should something like this;

put the zucchini in, mix like you would do with regular pasta serve, sprinkle with some Parmesan  and Enjoy it.

I found out this restaurant has another location and they offer the zucchini noodles too, but with some kind of Bologna sauce, I will try it and let you know.

Tip: the middle of the zucchini may be cut in quarts and keep it to do a stir fry in a latter day, or to give thickness to a soup..... This gives me an idea, I will ask my mother about her zucchini creamed soup and I will share it with you!

                                Until next time!