Lunch To Go: Rainbow Italia
This Italian influenced grain and gluten-free salad is as full of rich and intense flavours and colours. ‘Pasta’ ribbons of butternut squash and courgette (zucchini) in my rich, nutty vegan pesto (recipe here), is complimented with baby sweet juicy tomatoes, spring onions and avocado.
Spring is my favourite time of the year. It’s magical and dynamic.
Just as the blossom and flowers push through to spread colour and light after what can be a dull or most recently wet winter, we too can make the transition from feeling sluggish to springing in to action by adjusting what we eat. By starting to eat more lighter, raw and brighter foods.
Spring is the time to clear out the old and make way for the new. So whatever that means for you, turn your music up, open some windows and enjoy some spring sunshine with this transitional, plant empowered, Italian, rainbow of a salad.
INGREDIENTS
Makes x 2 lunches
- Recipe for my Vegan Pesto is here
- 1 x Butternut Squash, preferably organic peeled
- 1. 5 x tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 x Courgettes, (Zucchini), preferably organic
- 2-3 x tablespoons of pesto
- 1 x Avocado
- 1 x Cup of Baby Plum Tomatoes
- 3 x Spring onions
- Maldon or other sea salt and pepper to season
Lunch To Go: Rainbow Italia
TO COOK
- Pre-heat the oven to 180c, gas mark 4, 450f
- Cut the seeded area off the butternut squash and reserve for another dish. Spriralize the squash into ‘spaghetti’. I have a Lurch Spiralizer but I have read of people using a Julienne vegetable peeler and getting a similar result, or you could simply peel the vegetables in thin strips, it will look different but taste the same.
- Coat the squash spaghetti in the extra virgin olive oil and roast in the oven for 10 mins.
- Spiralize, Julienne or peel the courgette (zucchini) and then add it to the butternut squash, coating it with the pesto and roast together for another 5 mins in the oven.
- Peel the avocado and slice in to strips.
- Chop the tomatoes in half and peel and slice the whites of spring onions into small pieces.
- Season all with salt and pepper and it’s good to go!
Notes: This salad will keep well covered in a fridge for up to two days (the avocado might discolour a little).
Tabitha’s Edit 
12 Responses to “Lunch To Go: Rainbow Italia”
What do you think of the Lurch Spiralizer? I’ve been thinking of getting one. This recipe looks so good!
I’m very happy with it. Thank you.
Tabitha- that looks so delicious and so healthy!
Thank you Lori.
It is indeed colourful like a rainbow! Thanks for another yummy and healthy spring-inspired recipe! 🙂
Thanks you Violet, I’m so excited it’s Spring!
You’re welcome, Tabitha! 🙂 As soon as the snow disappears where I am, I’ll be super excited for Spring! 😉
wow, great photos!
Beautiful! And so yummy and healthy!! Just another reason why I’ve given you and award on my blog! Check it out here: http://foodgurly.com/2014/03/17/my-giveaway-is-done-aaaaaannndddd-i-won-again/
Love looking through your beautiful meals.
Thank you. Always great to see you!
[…] delicious and you feel great after eating it, I’ve also had great fun with my sprializer see Lunch To Go Rainbow Italia , Quick Fix Heaven On A Plate Zucchini Pasta , Aubergine ‘Pasta’ alla Norma and here […]