A healthy pasta dish made with veggies

(WTNH) -- Holistic health coach and raw cooking instructor Chef Tamara Petro prepares a healthy pasta dish made only with vegetables.

Raw Noodles with Red Tomato, Black Olive, Pignoli and Basil sauce
1 large sweet potato or a medium sized zuchinni, ends removed only
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
½ bunch of fresh basil
Raw olives if available (or Greek, black olives) (handful)
Pine/pignoli nuts (¼ cup)
Sundried tomatoes( ½ cup)
Pinch of paprika
1 Garlic clove
Extra Virgin Olive oil (2 tbsps)
Few pinches of Celtic Sea salt or Himalayan pink salt (preferred), or other salt
Add peppers or other seasonings or herbs as optional, and to your taste!

To prepare the pasta, you have two methods from which to choose:
1. Use a Spiralizer (such as "World Cuisine's Tri-Blade"),for larger noodles, or a
2. Vegetable Peeler or Mandoline slicer (Depending on the "noodle" shape and type of vegetable you prefer, linguine or noodles, etc… )

For the sauce:  Soak sundried tomatoes for about 20minutes to rehydrate. Drain BUT Save some of the soaking water if needed, to add to sauce to thin out.  In a food processor add the chopped tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, pressed garlic clove, salt, basil, paprika, and other herbs you may prefer. When chunky but blended, add some chopped raw (or other) olives.

To prepare:  Place noodles in a bowl, dust with salt. Drizzle the olive oil. Massage lightly into noodles to "wet" them. Then, top with the sauce. Add any pitted olives and the pine nuts last. Eat as is, or:  If you prefer this warm, you may either: Leave at room temperature for about an hour, or use a dehydrator at 110 degrees F, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours…turning occasionally as to not dry out.
Place in a low temperature oven (if you can leave the door slightly open, safely) for 30 minutes if you don't have either option.

(Optional): Parmesean cheese alternative: soak raw macadamia nuts or cashews for a few hours, re-dry them, then pulse in a blender with a pinch of salt and nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor until flakey. Spoon onto pasta;-)

More advanced? Try adding a raw vegan "not-meat" for a Bolognese type sauce or "not-meatballs." Also goes great with a salad!                                          

To sign up for a cooking class through East Shore Region Adult & Continuing Education, visit www.erace-adulted.org