Creamy Zucchini Spaghetti with Vegan Feta Sauce

The Veggies 🌱

• Start by dicing the onion, mincing the garlic, and chopping the squash and zucchini into small bite-sized pieces. Then set aside.
• Warm a large pot on medium heat, add 2 tbsp of oil, and sweat the onions for 2 to 3 minutes or until softened. Lower the heat if they start to brown, we don't want a lot of color on the onions.
• Then add the garlic and feel free to add a small splash of water to the pan if it gets too dry.
• Then add the miso paste, red pepper flakes, oregano, and mix. Add the white wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes to allow the liquid to cook down.
• Then add in the squash, zucchini, and tomatoes and toss to coat. Cook only for 1-2 minutes to soften slightly. It will cook more later so you don't want the veggies to be too soft. Season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat, and set aside.

Make the Noodles

• In another large pot, add spaghetti to boiling water and cook until al dente. In the meantime, you can prep your Creamy Feta Spread (recipe below) (unless you already made it, in which case…put on some cooking tunes and pour yourslf a glass of wine? 😊)

The Sauce

• About two minutes before the noodles are done cooking, you can return the veggies to the stove on low heat. Laddle in 1/2 cup of the water that the noodles were cooking in – and it's a good idea to laddle out another 1/2 cup to have on hand in case the sauce gets too thick and you want to thin it out later.
• Then add 1.5 cups of the Creamy Feta Spread to the pot along with the basil, vegan parmesan, and capers.
• Drain the noodles and add to the pot with the veggies. Toss for 1-2 minutes oven low heat to bring the sauce together. It will be thin at first and then thicken as it simmers and the motion of tossing the pasta will help to emoulsify and thicken it. You'll know it's ready for the next step when it's glossy and thick, and clings to the noodles nicely.

The Finishing Touches 🍋

• Finishing touches are more than garnish, which is often though of as optional. In this recipe, the finsihing touches are what make the dish and it's where you can really customize the flavors to your liking 😊
• The way I do it is to taste one noodle to see what it needs. At this stage it usually needs a good amount of salt and pepper – you'd be amazed at how much salt and pepper can really make the flavors pop! I also find that a good squeeze of lemon really makes the tanginess in the Feta Sauce sing, and I usually sprinkle in just a touch of nutritional yeast or additional vegan parmesan just before serving too. Taste and adjust until it tastes perfect to you! It should be creamy, salty, tangy, garlicy, and bursting with flavor! Once it's just right, your'e ready to serve!
• For optimal Summery vibes, serve this spaghetti in a big bowl along side a fresh green salad, and chilled glass of wine ☀️ Enjoy!

• 1. Bring the vegan feta cheese to room temperature by letting it rest on the counter.

  Tip before you start: I used VioLife when testing this recipe but if you're using a different brand of vegan feta like Trader Joe's or Follow Your Heart, reduce the salt in this recipe by half and add then more to taste as needed. I've made this recipe with all of these brands and they all work well!

  2. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend on high until light and creamy, about 40 seconds.
• 3. Taste and see if it needs more salt or extra lemon. Chill before serving if desired.
• Serve as a spread for sandwiches, dolloped onto salads, as a dip for crackers, or in my Summer Spaghetti with Zuccihini and Vegan Feta Sauce recipe. I also love whipped feta on toast with dried apricots and sunflower seeds on top. So delicious!

  Enjoy!