Zucchini and Sausage Noodle Bowl

Zucchini and Sausage Noodle Bowl

By Holly Hageman

I've been challenged by a bumper crop of zucchini and yellow summer squash this season. My garden is out-doing itself, and I'm honestly enjoying every bite! I have a deck kitchen garden planted in earthboxes with automatic irrigation where I can just walk out my back door and harvest my vegetables and fresh herbs. It's truly the best experience to watch my healthy, organic, and pesticide-free plants grow and produce while I sit and watch - no watering or weeding necessary!

I use several handy-dandy kitchen items regularly this season... and, if you don't have them, I highly recommend them! My cuisinart food processor is my main kitchen helper during summer to help process food, from shredding to slicing and blending. I use it just about every time I cook, and I have had mine for decades. I can't do without it. Secondly, a newer discovery I'm quite addicted to using is a spiralizer. It's something no kitchen producing low carb, paleo, and gluten-free meals should be without. My other favorite is my fine dicer I use for onions, garlic, and for the stub of the zucchini after spiralizing.

Ingredients:

2 medium size zucchini, spiraled

1 small onion, diced

2 clove garlic, diced

1 red or green pepper, diced

6 baby button-sized portabella mushrooms, sliced

12 asparagus tips, optional

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbs fresh thyme

1 Tbs fresh oregano

4 links of sausage, sliced

Shredded parmesan cheese

salt

pepper

Saute onion, garlic, and peppers in olive oil until soft. Add asparagus tips, if using, and sausage. Cook until sausage is finished over medium heat. Add mushrooms and zucchini noodles (noodles) and top with fresh herbs. Cover and let steam for 10 minutes. Remove cover and "flip" noodles to steam on the other side for another 5 minutes or more, until it reaches desired tenderness. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with shredded Italian cheese.

There will be a generous amount of broth in the base of the skillet. Some drain this off. I just remove the noodles and save the nutrient-rich broth for making soup or stew. It's very flavorful, and shouldn't be wasted if at all possible!