Moroccan Zoodles with a Tomato-Harissa Sauce

So I wanted to try out a new ingredient tonight. Harissa…

Have you heard of it?!

I think it’s gonna be the new ‘thing’ … like the new Sriracha.

If you don’t agree, it’s ok, but I DO suggest you try it. I found this jar at World Market and bought it because I had been reading so much about it in food magazines. And I am totally NOT disappointed! I am a spice fan, I LOVE spicy foods.. and to find a new spicy condiment kinda makes my day.

I read on the back of the jar that its a Moroccan hot sauce. It’s like a paste consisting of chilis, lemon, garlic and salt — plus a few spices.. and it’s BALLIN’.

I’ve been wanting to make a zoodle recipe for a while now, so I got some zucchini the other day, and its literally the ONLY fresh thing left from my last grocery trip. So I wanted to make some kind of sauce consisting of the harissa to add to my zoodles.
I looked up Moroccan cuisine in The Flavor Bible (my fav kitchen reference).. and found all of these flavors in the sauce… bell peppers (they suggest green), lemon, coriander, cumin, paprika, and sumac. I pretty much threw them all together in a sauce and coated the zoodles, and TA-DA! DELICIOUSNESS!
I decided to use the immersion blender in the middle of the process. I wasn’t planning on it and it is a totally optional step, but I love the texture of the sauce after I blended it up a bit. I now realized my love for harissa and will definitely be experimenting with more Moroccan flavors in the future (especially that harissa!)

Moroccan Zoodles with a Tomato-Harissa Sauce

2016-04-01 22:12:35

Serves 2

Zucchini noodles with a spicy harissa-tomato sauce made with onions and bell peppers and spiced up with cumin, coriander, paprika, sumac and lemon.

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

40 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

40 min

Ingredients

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup minced bell peppers

2 zucchinni, zoodled

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon harissa

½ tsp. Coriander

½ tsp. Cumin

¼ tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. Sumac

1 lemon, juice and zest

½ tsp. Lemon curd (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Toasted sliced almonds, for garnish

Parsley, for garnish

Instructions

1. Squeeze zoodles in paper towels to remove excess moisture.*
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add onion and bell pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes until they are soft and add garlic. Cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add the can of diced tomatoes, all spices and lemon zest and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until sauce thickens.
3. Transfer sauce to a smaller bowl and use an immersion blender to blend up and make a thick sauce texture. Add back to pan and add lemon juice and 1 tablespoon butter until melted.
4. Toss zoodles in sauce and cook 3-5 minutes more until they soften. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
5. Transfer to serving plate and garnish with toasted almonds and parsley if you want.

Notes

1. *I then salted them thoroughly and put them on a cooking rack over paper towels. I let them sit for about 15 minutes, then I pressed them with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible. (I don’t know if this is necessary, but I just didn’t want my sauce to be watery!)

By Whitney

That Square Plate http://www.thatsquareplate.com/