Zucchini Ribbons with Toasted Almond Pesto

So I might be the only 25 year old who asked for a cookbook, a tea infuser, and Good Housekeeping magazine on her Christmas list... (Don't worry, I'm not a total grandma; I also had a new bell for my bike and trapeze lessons on there). Lucky me, Santa brought me a few of these requests, one of which was the cookbook -- the Smitten Kitchen cookbook to be exact. You've heard me talk about my love for Deb Perelman before, so it may not surprise you to learn I spent a good hour or so of my Christmas day paging through each and every recipe of the book. Almost every page turn was met by an "oohh," "ahhh," or "wow that looks good."

This was one of those recipes. I followed it pretty closely, making only a few slight adaptations, and was definitely pleased with the results. I really loved the taste of the toasted almonds, which was complemented perfectly by the parmesan cheese. Additionally, the texture and the nutty flavor of the pesto paired very nicely with the delicateness of the zucchini ribbons.  

First, you toast almonds in the oven for approximately 15 min at 350 degrees. After they've cooled slightly, put them in a food processor with grated parmesan, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes and puree until fine. Then mix in the lemon juice and olive oil to make a pesto. 

Using a mandolin grater (or verrrrry carefully by hand), slice the zucchini into thin long strips. Coat the strips with the pesto by dolloping on a little at a time and mixing until the zucchini is coated.  Not going to lie, I ended up using my hands here.

A word of warning - make sure you're ready to serve immediately when you do this. I let mine sit for a little while I finished prepping the rest of my meal, and the moisture from the zucchini watered down the pesto a bit and the almonds weren't quite as crunchy. This dish would make an impressive first course for a dinner party, or you can do what I did and serve it with grilled ham over parsnip puree!

Zucchini Ribbons with Toasted Almond Pesto

(Minimally adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook; serves 1 generously, 2 as a modest starter or side)

1 medium zucchini
6 almonds
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Pinch of salt
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice

Toast almonds in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Grind in food processor with parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, salt, and garlic until fine. Mix in olive oil and lemon juice. 

Slice zucchini into long, thin strips. Coat with almond pesto. Serve immediately.