Health food: Zucchini spaghetti offers raw with extra class

What is it?

It's "spaghetti" made from zucchini, extruded through a vegetable spiraliser into long, curling strands of raw vegetable goodness. Originally conceived as a wheat-free and raw alternative to pasta, it is now being embraced by people who don't give a hoot about raw, vegan or carb-free – because it's delicious in its own right.

Where is it?

At Yarraville's new raw food cafe Heal.Thy Self, owner Electra Tomasino's biggest-selling salad is raw zucchini pasta served with cherry tomatoes and basil or mint pesto. "It's a great pasta alternative," says manager Anna Maddocks. "It looks like pasta and feels like pasta but it's guilt-free, and bloat-free."

In Sydney, raw-fooders head to pioneering raw and vegan cafe Sadhana Kitchen in Enmore for Maz Valcorza's zucchini lasagne, layered with cultured cashew nut "cheeze", basil pesto, walnut mince, spinach and a chunky tomato sauce. "When you change the way you cut a vegetable," says Valcorza, "you change the way it tastes as well." In Bondi Junction, raw food cafe Earth to Table's Julie Mitsios says she tries to present raw food in such a way that people still recognise their favourite dishes. "I would never have expected people to enjoy spaghetti made out of vegetables a few years ago, but they love it," she says. "With a fresh vegetable mince, creamy cashew sauce or pesto, you have something vibrant, fresh and full of goodness."

Why do I care?

Because you may be gluten intolerant, carb-phobic, or just plain old bored with the same old pasta. And because you can always toss the zucchini in a hot pan and top it with your favourite pasta sauce if raw food is not your thing.

Can I do it at home?

Yes. For tagliatelle or linguine, use a potato peeler (shave the zucchini lengthwise, then cut into strips) for lasagne, use a mandolin; and for spaghetti, use and a hand-held or (so much more fun) counter-top vegetable spiraliser.

Sourcing

Look for the Paderno or Spirooli counter-top spiraliser ($39 to $49) available from homewares and health food stores and therawfoodinstituteofaustralia.com.

VIC Heal.Thy Self, 26 Ballarat Street, Yarraville 03 9687 3330NSW Earth To Table, Sadhana Kitchen,

Zucchini spaghetti

The garlic, lemon and parmesan really make it feel, and taste, like pasta. Swap the parmesan for ground cashews or almond pesto to make it vegan-friendly.

3 to 4 zucchini, ends trimmed

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 small pink radishes, finely sliced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

1 tbsp grated lemon zest

2 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1 garlic clove, grated

2 tbsp grated parmesan

1. Spiralise the zucchini, or use a vegetable peeler to shave the zucchini lengthwise, then slice each shaving into long thin strips.

2. Toss the cherry tomatoes and radishes with the olive oil, sea salt and pepper.

Serves 2