Low Carb Tomato Basil Courgetti

Low carb courgette spaghetti in a creamy tomato basil sauce.

After receiving lovely feedback for my lemon pesto courgette spaghetti (elsewhere in this blog), I thought I’d create a tomato sauce version akin to a tomato mozzarella sauce. For a challenge I made this sauce dairy-free, so suitable for vegans. I love this dish. Not only is it healthy, but easy to make & the balance of flavours is just right for me; there is saltiness from the olives contrasting with the sweetness of the sauce & fragrance of the basil.

For non-vegans & lacto-ovo vegetarians you can also add feta chunks at the end, which add a beautiful creamy saltiness to the dish.

This dish is so brightly coloured it evokes memories of overseas holidays in the sunshine!

Feta chunks can be added for extra protein for non-vegans and lacto-vegetarians.

As this dish does not contain any grains, it is suitable for those on a gluten-free diet, but suitable for those on low carb diets. This dish is quick to prepare (providing you have soaked the cashes & goji berries in water for 2-3hrs beforehand) & great for taking for packed lunch or whipping up for a quick supper after a busy work day.

The base of the sauce is actually puréed sweet potatoes mixed with goji berries, cashews, protein powder, olive oil, basil leaves & nutritional yeast.

What is nutritional yeast?

Nutritional yeast is a vegan substitute for cheese and packed with vitamin B12

Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast. It is very different to Brewer’s yeast & not widely available even in high street health food chains, but it is readily available at Amazon.

Nutritional yeast is full of B vitamins, especially vitamin B12, which is missing from most plant foods, making it a great supplement for vegans. It is also great for individuals with tyramine intolerance who cannot otherwise eat matured products like cheddar or parmesan cheese.

Nutritional yeast is rich in folic acid, selenium, zinc & protein whilst being free from sugars & preservatives. It is also low calorie. It has a cheesy nutty savoury ‘umami’ flavour; see Amazon for rave reviews! In this dish, the nutritional yeast adds a savouriness to the dish & creaminess to the sauce.

Preparation time: 22-25mins. Soaking time for goji berries & cashews: 2-3hrs

Serves: 4

Cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

350g sweet potatoes, peeled & diced

3 large courgettes

80g raw cashews

40g goji berries

90g sundried tomatoes, drained

2 tbsp protein powder (I have used Pulsin’ Soya derived protein powder in this recipe, but their pea protein powder is a good alternative).

2 tbsp olive oil

2-3 tbsp water

5 tbsp nutritional yeast

4 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp tamari or soya sauce

2 plump garlic cloves, crushed

28g fresh basil leaves

salt & pepper

To decorate: basil leaves, slices of sundried tomato & a handful of black olives

Optional: Chunks of feta cheese

Method:

Soak the cashews & goji berries in a small bowl of water for 2-3hrs to soften them. Then drain.

Peel the sweet potato, dice & then steam for 12-15 mins until very soft.

In a blender or food processor, add all the ingredients except for the courgettes. Blitz to form a smooth paste.

Spiralise the courgettes. If you do not have a spiraliser, using a vegetable peeler, you can make courgette peelings instead.

* Top tip: If you are unsure about investing in a desktop spiraliser, manual spiralisers which work a bit like pencil sharpeners work well for courgettes & are a lot cheaper.