In the thick of the summer, sometimes the last thing we want to do is cook a meal that will heat up our kitchens and raise the temp in our homes. Instead of ordering take out in these situations, try making a cold meal. Cold summer pasta salads are a great option for when it’s just too hot to turn on the oven. This pesto zucchini “noodle” pasta brings together some of the best flavors of summer, without the heat of the summer.

In this case, I bought pre-spiralized zucchini from Trader Joe’s. You can also spiralize the zucchini on your own. There are so many recipes now for veggie noodles. My favorites are zucchini and butternut squash noodles. The next time you are looking to make a pasta salad, try replacing traditional pasta with veggie pasta. It tastes just as good and is far better for you.

Timing:

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes

Ingredients: Makes 4 servings

• 16 oz spiralized zucchini (or 2 medium zucchini if you are spiralizing them on your own)
• 3 tbsp pesto
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 10 grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1/3 cup red onion, diced
• 2 sweet apple chicken sausage links
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Handful of fresh basil, chopped

Directions

Place the zucchini noodles in a large bowl. Add the pesto and mix into the noodles evenly. Add in the feta, tomatoes, sausage, basil and red onion. Squeeze the lemon juice on top and mix together well.

Serve cold or keep in fridge until ready. Enjoy!