Al Fresco Zucchini Pasta Salad
Try this Al Fresco Zucchini Pasta Salad recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Al Fresco Zucchini Pasta Salad recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 medium zucchini spiralized noodles trimmed
- 11/2 cups fresh broccoli flowerets
- 1 large carrot spiralized using blade c noodles trimmed
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper diced
- 1 (28 ounce) can tuttorossoâ® diced tomatoes in rich tomato juice drained
- Carbohydrate 7.75681916667679 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 2.57642666666667 g
- Fiber 2.50935824624697 g
- Protein 2.73254166666667 g
- Saturated Fat 0.349384916666667 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (140g)
- Sodium 813.28883333384 mg
- Sugar 5.24746092042982 g
- Trans Fat 0.3533345 g
- Calories 61 calories
Step-by-step
- Bring a large saucepan filled halfway with water and a pinch of salt to a boil.
- Add broccoli and carrots and cook for 3 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
- Combine the vinegar, olive oil, Italian seasoning, mustard, salt, black pepper and garlic power in a screw top jar.
- Cover and shake well.
- In a large bowl combine the zucchini noodles, broccoli, carrots, diced tomatoes and yellow bell pepper.
- Shake dressing and pour over zucchini pasta mixture; toss gently to coat.
When pantry space limits your equipment to a single saucepan and a large mixing bowl, efficient thermal management becomes the primary operational constraint. This assembly relies on rapid blanching and immediate cooling to alter vegetable cell walls without turning them to mush.
Scaling Proportions and Osmotic Control
Multiplying a fresh vegetable salad requires precise mathematical scaling, particularly when high-moisture ingredients like zucchini and tomatoes are involved. Doubling or tripling oil-and-vinegar emulsions does not require a linear increase in every component. Acidity concentrates as liquids evaporate or absorb, so increase white wine vinegar by 1.5 times rather than doubling it when scaling a recipe up to twelve servings. Conversely, salt acts as an osmotic agent. Salting spiralized zucchini ahead of time draws out excess water through cell membranes. Drain this liquid thoroughly in a colander for fifteen minutes before combining the noodles with the dressing, or the free water will dilute the olive oil emulsion and pool at the bottom of the bowl. For structural integrity, maintain a 2:1 ratio of firm vegetables like carrots and broccoli florets to softer components.
- Over-blanching broccoli florets beyond the prescribed 3-minute window breaks down pectin, leaving the florets dull and waterlogged.
- Skipping the cold water rinse allows residual heat to continue cooking internal tissues past the desired crisp-tender threshold.
- Failing to drain canned diced tomatoes introduces excess tomato serum, which overpowers the Italian seasoning and dijon mustard notes.
