Zucchini Noodles with Kale, Onion & Goat Cheese

Need a way to use up that summer zucchini? Zucchini Noodles with Kale, Onion, and Goat Cheese will do the trick while giving you a veggie-filled dinner option that comes together in minutes! Topped with pine nuts for texture and an extra sprinkle of goat cheese, this simple dish is a great option for Meatless Mondays or a quick, healthy meal any day of the week. 

7/27/17 — This post was originally published on 4/19/11.

You guys, I’m really loving this whole “TBT” idea I had a few weeks ago to refresh old posts that have sunken to the deep, dark depths of the archives. It’s like taking a little stroll down memory lane!

With zucchini being currently in season and so many of you home-gardeners {Hi, my name is Dianna Black Thumb and I’m totally jeally.} having a surplus, I thought I’d breathe some new life into this old recipe for Zucchini Noodles with Kale, Onion & Goat Cheese.

You can tell this recipe is a little older because A. I didn’t say the word “zoodles” once, and B. I used a vegetable peeler to make my zucchini noodles instead of a spiralizer, which I now have among my arsenal of kitchen tools. I only did a tiny bit of tweaking to the recipe itself, but more importantly, I snapped some new pics because, good gracious, the old one was ugly. Please, scroll down to the bottom for a good laugh!

Anyway, I hope you’ll enjoy this week’s throwback! It’s as tasty now as it was 6 years ago… possibly even better!

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Last weekend when we went grocery shopping I noticed a theme in my husband’s contributions to our shopping cart – veggies. Lots and lots of veggies. Brussels sprouts, zucchini, kale, stringbeans, corn, carrots and even a big package of wheatgrass. {Ok, maybe wheatgrass isn’t a veggie… but it’s a plant and it’s green. Close enough.}

We are no strangers to veggies here. In fact, it’s been noted by various Publix cashiers that we are very healthy eaters. 🙂 But every once in a while Steve will turn it up a notch for a week or two, and I, by association, will be forced to go along for the ride. It does, however, take a little more thinking on my part to come up with creative meals despite all the restrictions. (i.e. No wheat, dairy, meat or anything else that is remotely delicious unhealthy.)

Luckily, I just so happened to receive a recipe from Real Simple with a tasty looking recipe for Pappardelle with Swiss Chard, Onion, and Goat Cheese. Too bad that 2 of the 4 main ingredients the recipe called for were part of the “food to avoid” list for this week…

But then, in a flash of pure genius {at least it felt pretty genius at the end of a looong day}, I knew exactly how to solve my dilemma: Zucchini “Pasta”! I had seen this done before in a few different recipes but hadn’t ever tried it, so I pulled out my trusty Titan Peeler Julienne Tool and started peeling away. [UPDATE as of 7/27/17: I now use my OXO Spiralizer for this task! Much easier!]

I have to tell you, I was quite impressed with the results! It was a nice change to our normal Quinoa Pasta routine and Steve & I both liked the dish, which is always a plus since I sometimes struggle with forcing myself to eat certain veggies that I do not find enjoyable {unlike my husband, AKA “The Man Who Will Happily Eat Cardboard Flavored Food for Health Purposes}. 😉

I ended up making it without the goat cheese, set Steve’s plate aside, then added a little goat cheese to mine for some extra zing & creaminess. Delish.

The best part about this type of recipe is that you could probably toss in any veggies, herbs, or additional ingredients you like and it would be just as good, maybe even better. Give it a try!

Adapted from Real Simple.com

Zucchini “Noodles” with Kale, Onion & Goat Cheese

This guilt-free "pasta" dish combines fresh zucchini noodles with sauteed kale, onions, roasted tomatoes, and creamy goat cheese. This is a sure-to-please, fresh dish that will be an instant favorite!

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Course Lunch, Side Dish

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Servings 2 servings

Author Dianna Muscari

Ingredients  

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ an onion thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic grated or minced
• 1 ½ cups finely chopped kale leaves
• ½ cup grape tomatoes halved
• Salt to taste
• 2 medium zucchini spiralized or julienned with a vegetable peeler
• ¼ cup goat cheese plus extra for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Instructions 

• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion to skillet and saute for 2-3 minutes or until it starts softening and becoming translucent. Add garlic and stir, cooking for another minute or so.
• Add kale, tomatoes and salt. Cook until the kale has wilted down and the tomatoes shrivel a bit.
• Add spiralized zucchini to the pan and cook until the zucchini begins to release some of its liquid and soften.
• Remove the skillet from the burner and add the goat cheese, tossing to coat all of the zucchini noodles. It should melt down and create a light "sauce."
• Sprinkle pine nuts over top and sprinkle with extra goat cheese if desired. Serve immediately.*

The goat cheese mountain is optional. 😉