Raw Zucchini Pasta with Vegan Sunflower Walnut Pesto

I know that I have the best friends a girl could ask for.

That's because my birthday involved an evening filled with entirely worst-dinner-guest-friendly foods- including raw cake and homemade coconut ice-cream- and new kitchen gadgets. I have never actually owned more than a garlic press and hand blender. It wasn't long ago that I was scraping carrots with a semi-sharp knife for lack of a peeler. Well, in one week, I all of a sudden own an 'apple peeler corer slicer' (awkward title, I know), food processor and spiralizer. On top of feeling loved, I also now feel more accommodating to myself. This is the first dish to use any of these gadgets, and I have used all three. Hopefully, these will help to alleviate the amount of deep sighing the comes from the other side of the room when I use my hand blender for 10 minutes straight.

Raw Zucchini Pasta with Vegan Sunflower Walnut Pesto 

Ingredients

4 medium zucchinis, yellow and green
1 apple, cored and peeled
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup walnuts
2 cups fresh basil
Juice of 1 lemon
4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp vegan parmesan cheese (rice or soy)

Directions

Using a spiralizer, run the zucchini through the smallest blade setting. Change it to the wider setting for the apple and place noodles in a deep bowl.

In a food processor, combine remaining ingredients and blend on high until completely smooth. If you find it a bit dry, add a bit more olive oil. You will likely have more pesto than you need- add enough to coat the vegetables and toss. Serves 4-6; pesto yields about 1 cup.