Summer Ripe Tomato Raw Pasta - A Guest Blog by Intern Haley Warren

Well, unfortunately, this will be my last blog with Chef Nancy. I cannot say enough great things about her and all of the positive experiences I have had! I am going out with a bang and will share with you all one of the best recipes, ever. Chef Nancy made it for a class at Cancer Wellness this week and it was a huge success. The recipe I will be sharing is a summer-ripe tomato raw pasta.

This recipe is really great because it incorporates a lot of foods that are seasonal, as well as being a great spin to the traditional pasta that is full of carbohydrates. This recipe uses squash as the noodle, who would have thought? Using squash as the “pasta” is a great way to get vegetables in your diet without really tasting like vegetables. And to top it all off, it's light and refreshing!

Summer Ripe Tomato Raw Pasta

About 2 LBs of Squash-Zucchini or Yellow Squash

1 TB Sea Salt

2 Large Ripe Red Tomatoes, peeled seeded and chopped

1/2 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes **chopped

1 Garlic Clove, Grated

2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Chopped Parsley for Garnish

Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to Taste

Sliced Yellow, Orange or Red Peppers for Garnish

Grated Parmesan, (optional)

Step One: Using a mandoline, vegetable peeler or spiral cutter*, make long thin strands of the squash. Toss in a colander with the salt, (making sure to cover each strand with the salt), and set aside to drain while you make the pasta sauce.

Step Two: To make the sauce, stir together the ripe and sun dried tomatoes with the garlic and oil. Sprinkle with pepper.

Step Three: Rinse the squash under cold water and pat it dry with paper towels. Place in bowls and top with the tomato sauce, garnish with the peppers and if you desire a little parmesan cheese.

**Sun dried tomatoes are packed full of tomato flavor- they are just what the name says- Tomatoes that have been dried in the sun, (or in a dehydrator),  until they become smaller and more concentrated. Make sure you choose tomatoes that are still flexible and bright red. If they are old they will be hard and brown! Use sun dried tomatoes anytime you want to create a big tomato flavor in your dish.