Butternut Noodles with Sundried Tomato Pesto

A great bowl of comfort – these butternut noodles are slathered in a hearty pesto and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Not your usual noodle-variety, but a great change and good for you too!

Butternut noodles are a great alternative to pasta; the kids really enjoy it and it has that comfort-feel of pasta, just without the discomfort and health side-effects…

I’m not on a ‘low carb’ or ‘banting’ craze to shed a few extra kilos, I’m in it for the long run because I believe it’s better for my health, plus I feel fantastic. {The kilos I’ve lost along the way doesn’t hurt either ;) }

I feel utterly crap when I eat carbs and sugar… True story.

People often ask me if I miss bread, pasta, etc and my answer is always a firm ‘no’.

I really don’t, and I don’t try and recreate those foods either.
Sure, on occasion I’ll make a cauli pizza and I’ve tried a few low carb breads, but personally I’d rather not have those because I reckon they’re all horrid.

I enjoy real food – meat, veggies, eggs, etc.

The only thing I try and recreate on a more regular basis is sweet stuff…
I have a terrible sweet tooth and that is really the only thing I battle with – so I have my low carb brownies, ice creams, cheese cakes, mousse, etc on occasion.

Anyways, to get back on track – these noodles are simply a different way of serving butternut, and yes, it does give that comfort that a bowl of pasta used to…

It is higher in carbs than other veggies, so just be mindful of that, and don’t have it every night.

It’s great for kids and a little helping really fills you up!

[recipe title=”Butternut Noodles with Sundried Tomato Pesto” servings=”4″ time=”30mins” difficulty=”easy”]

You will need:

1 butternut squash, ‘noodled’ {I have a fab little gadget that works like a peeler, but cuts it into julienne strips – click here to buy a similar one}
2 tbsp. bacon fat
2 -3 tbsp. sundried tomato pesto {click here to see which one I use}
Parmesan cheese

Fry the butternut noodles in the bacon fat – do this in batches so that the noodles don’t start to boil, but rather crisp up a bit.
Fry for a few minutes only, they’re great if they’re still slightly crunchy – let’s call it al dente… ;)

Mix the pesto into the cooked noodles and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

[/recipe]

You might have noticed a few recipes where I use Corrado’s Pestos…

I’m not usually a fan of store-bought sauces and things, I like to make my own and I like to know what goes into them.

Then I discovered these pestos and chillies and they are fabulous!
It’s like having your own Italian aunt that makes the most delicious and real condiments.

The products are packed with flavour and contains no nasties – so it’s really fab to have in the fridge to just add a punch of flavour here and there.

And who doesn’t like a little helping hand, a little short-cut every now and then..?!

Another little tip: you don’t need to buy actual Parmesan cheese when a recipe calls for it; I usually buy Italian Hard Cheese OR Grana Padano from Woolies at a much lower price.

Give these noodles a try – they’re so quick and easy to make; just perfect for those hasty weeknight dinners.

xx