Zucchini salad with pine nuts
Elegant and delicious dish and easy to cook
Ingredients:
- 4 zucchini, small (about 5 inches or 16 cm)
- flaked sea salt
- vinaigrette dressing (home-made or shop-bought, nice quality)
- 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
- 4 tablespoons pine nuts (heaped, I used a lot and didn’t measure)
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shaved (use any sharp, flavourful cheese)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking Instructions:
- Wash, top and tail the zucchini.
- Using a potato peeler or mandoline, shave the zucchini into ribbons. Discard the outside edges and the last parts you cannot really slice properly.
- Put the zucchini in a sieve or colander, sprinkle lightly with sea salt, (lifting them with your hand to distribute evenly).
- Leave for 30 – 60 mins over a bowl to drain.
- Heat a small pan, add the pine nuts. Let the nuts heat and color a little, shaking the pan (they burn easily!). Then take off the heat.
- Add the Tabasco to the vinaigrette, and whisk with a fork to mix. Don’t use a creamy dressing, which does not suit this delicate salad.
- The zucchini does not shed a lot of liquid, so after some time, put it into a bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.
- Shave the parmesan in large bits. (Or use any really sharp or flavourful cheese).
- Lift the zucchini from the dressing, into a shallow dish. Add the cheese to the shaved zucchini, and then sprinkle with the nuts. Sprinkle over black pepper.