Raw Zucchini Noodles with Tomato and Fresh Basil

Other Xerophagy Published April 11, 2026

Spiralized raw zucchini dressed with crushed tomatoes, garlic, basil, and salt is the closest thing xerophagy has to a pasta dish. The zucchini noodles have a clean, mild crunch that carries the tomato sauce well, and the sauce itself is nothing more than raw tomatoes crushed by hand with seasonings — no cooking, no oil.

You need a spiralizer or a julienne peeler. If you have neither, a regular vegetable peeler makes wide ribbons that work almost as well — think pappardelle rather than spaghetti. The key is slicing the zucchini thin enough that it feels like a noodle rather than a raw vegetable.

FASTING LEVEL: Xerophagy (the strictest level — no cooked food, no oil, no wine)
SERVINGS: 2
TIME: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

For the noodles:
- 3 medium zucchini, spiralized or julienned into thin noodles
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the raw sauce:
- 4 large ripe tomatoes (the ripest you can find — flavor depends entirely on the tomatoes)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated on a microplane
- Large handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional — check label for additives)

METHOD

1. Spiralize the zucchini into noodles. Place in a colander, toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and let sit for 10 minutes. The salt draws out excess water — squeeze the noodles gently with your hands afterward and discard the liquid. This step prevents a watery plate.

2. While the zucchini drains, make the sauce. Cut the tomatoes in half and grate them on the large holes of a box grater, cut side against the grater, over a bowl. The flesh will pulp through and the skin will remain in your hand. Discard the skins.

3. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to the tomato pulp. Stir well. Taste — if the tomatoes are not very sweet, the balsamic vinegar helps. The sauce should be bright, savory, and slightly thick.

4. Divide the drained zucchini noodles between two plates or shallow bowls. Spoon the raw tomato sauce generously over the top.

5. Scatter with torn basil leaves. Eat immediately — zucchini noodles do not hold up to sitting in sauce.

NOTES

- The quality of the tomatoes is everything. Out-of-season supermarket tomatoes will make a bland, watery sauce. Use the ripest, most fragrant tomatoes you can find. Roma or San Marzano varieties have less water and more flesh.
- Grating the tomatoes is a Spanish technique (used for pan con tomate) that produces a smooth, seed-free pulp without any cooking or blending.
- Salting and draining the zucchini noodles is not optional. Skip it and you will have soup, not noodles.
- Some add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast for a savory, almost cheesy flavor. This is technically a processed food — whether it qualifies for xerophagy depends on how strictly you interpret "uncooked."