raw zucchini noodles, aglio e olio style (and a giveaway *winners announced*)

Zucchini noodles, aglio e olio style.

When Kitchenware Superstore offered to let me pick a product from their online shop to try, I couldn't resist. Ever since I saw a friend of mine using a vegetable spiralizer to faciliate her raw food diet, I have wanted one of my own. Naturally, it didn't take me long to settle on the cute green Swiss-designed, German-made Betty Bossi Veggie Twister (and I didn't notice it at the time, but they also have a pink version!).

Practice makes perfect! I started off with uncertainty, but soon after this I was churning out raw zucchini noodles easily!

When one gets a vegetable spiralizer, one makes zucchini noodles. Yes, it's a cliche, but for good reason, because, quite frankly, zucchini noodles are awesome. Plus, I already had a zucchini noodle recipe in mind. I have always loved spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino, so this is the almost raw, vegan, gluten-free version of that.

It turned out fantastically. There is a lovely kick from the garlic, accentuated by the touch of chilli. The olive oil coats every strand of the zucchini noodles, and the use of lemon and parsley cuts through to provide a tangy, herbaceous sparkle. Simon and I are already looking forward to using my new toy again soon for our future meals!

Zucchini noodles with lemon-garlic-chilli-oil and parsley, inspired by spaghetti aglio e olio.

zucchini noodles with lemon-garlic-chilli-oil and parsley (inspired by spaghetti aglio e olio)
(makes 1 serve for a light main, or 2 serves as a side)

2 small zucchinis (approx. 225g / 1/2lb total, or 15cm / 6" long each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 small red chilli, finely sliced; or 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

You may peel the zucchini or leave the skin intact, depending on your preferences. Cut off the tip and end. Use a vegetable spiralizer to make spaghetti-like noodles out of the zucchini. If you don't have a vegetable spiralizer, a julienne peeler will also work. Otherwise, you can try to shave the zucchini into long strips with a regular peeler, which may create more of a fettucine effect.

To keep my raw zucchini noodles fresh, I like to briefly drench them in a bowl of lightly salted water, then drain in a colander before setting aside for later use.

Warm up the olive oil over medium low heat. Add garlic and let it cook gently for about 1 minute, then add chilli and continue cooking for another 1 minute, or until the garlic turns lightly golden on the edges. Remove from heat immediately and add lemon zest and juice.

Toss the zucchini noodles together with the lemon-garlic-chilli oil, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. I suggest that you let it rest for 10 minutes or so, to allow the flavours to develop further, then toss again. Serve and slurp!

If you like, add some raw or toasted nuts in the end, to make this a more filling, protein-rich meal. I think pine nuts or walnuts in particular would be great, but I imagine almonds, hazelnuts or pecans would also suit well. If you're not a nut person, I reckon some soft tofu could be really nice, too.

If you want to attempt a completely raw meal out of this, consider crushing fresh chilli and garlic into the olive oil to infuse it, so that you don't have to cook it. You'll probably need less garlic, since the raw stuff is stronger and sharper.

Delicious, so delicious.

Now we get to the giveaway part!

Together with Kitchenware Superstore, I am giving away 3 x $20 online gift vouchers which winners can use towards any purchase at the Kitchenware Superstore online shop.

This giveaway is open to all readers, but please note that if you reside outside of Australia, shipping costs may be quite prohibitively expensive, so double check that to see if it's still worth it for you.

For a chance to win one of the vouchers, please leave a comment telling me what dishes you would make featuring zucchini noodles. I will select 3 winners based on how likely I am to create the dish you describe.

Please ensure that there is some way I can reach you (e-mail address, twitter account, blog URL etc) if you win. The deadline, or last day for entry, is the 5th of November, 2013 - I'll be going by the time stamp on this blog, which is based in Melbourne, Australia. I'll announce the winner on the 6th of November, 2013 by updating this blog post, or you can also keep an eye out on Twitter or Facebook for an announcement. I will then contact the winner to organise the shipping of the prize.

*Winners announced!*

Congratulations to: Economies of Kale, Cate, and Winston! Your ideas are right up my alley and I am keen to give them a go. I will e-mail the voucher to you as soon as I receive them from Kitchenware Superstore.

To everyone else, I really enjoyed your responses too, and thank you for participating. I may have another giveaway coming up in the next few months, so stay tuned! :)