According to Wikipedia, the BLT is the second most popular sandwich in the United States and is the most popular sandwich in the UK. Of course, you didn’t need me to spout off statistics to convince you of the enchanting delight that comes when we combine the smoky flavor of bacon with sweet, juicy tomato and crisp lettuce.
So of course I had to add this deli classic to my hack list. While it’s very possible to create a BLT sandwich on ALMOND BREAD or NAAN BREAD, I thought it would be twice as fun to make it into an exciting pasta salad, complete with zucchini noodles and home- made pesto. The true flavors of a BLT shine through this salad with the additional notes of fresh basil and the fun of noodles. (Try it and you’ll see just how much fun!)
And I’ve added an extra “L”—there’s Lettuce AND Leeks. Layer in some tender, cooked cherry tomatoes and bacon crumbles, and you’ve got a BLT made in heaven. You won’t even miss the bread.
Note: You have a trustworthy spiral slicer by now, don’t you? I hope you’re nodding, but if you aren’t, then go to Amazon.com and get ordering! Spiral slicers take ordinary vegetables and turn them into perfect spaghetti-like noodles—which is fantastic for recipes like this one. Sure, you could always use a simple veggie peeler to create long, flat noodles, but there’s something awesome about having veggie noodles that look just like the real thing!
6 medium zucchinis
1 head Butter Lettuce
2 cups basil leaves
pinch of sea salt
¼ cup Pine Nuts
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, whites and greens, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved
pinch of black pepper
½ cup dry white wine
4 bacon strips, cooked and chopped
Wash the zucchini and use a veggie peeler to remove the green skin. Run through a spiral slicer to create long, thin noodles. Put them in a large bowl. Thinly chop the lettuce and add it to the bowl.
In a food processor, combine the basil, sea salt, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Pulse until a paste forms. Add the pesto to the bowl of noodles and lettuce.
In a small skillet, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes, or until the leeks are soft. Add the cherry tomatoes, stir, cover, and cook for 8 minutes, until the tomatoes burst. Season with sea salt and black pepper, then add the wine and simmer to cook it off. Add the mixture to the bowl.
Mix the contents of the bowl well and stir in the bacon pieces.
Calories: 216
Fat: 9g
Carbohydrates: 16g
Sodium: 107mg
Fiber: 8g
Protein: 11g
Sugar: 6g