Parmesan Zucchini and Mashed Pea Salad

Zucchini two ways tossed with crunchy walnuts and shallots and mixed in with creamy parmesan mashed peas: this Parmesan Zucchini and Mashed Pea Salad is light, luscious, and extremely addicting.

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Spiralized zucchini sometimes gets a bad rep in the food world. Half of the people love it — praising it as a low-carb alternative to spaghetti. Still, the other half of the people hate it — claiming that spaghetti is irreplaceable by a vegetable, regardless of its shape. Personally, I agree with the ladder. Zucchini noodles, or “zoodles,” are not a replacement to pasta, just as cauliflower rice isn’t real rice. Still, that doesn’t mean that I don’t love them. Rather, I think zoodles are merely an alternative way to serve up zucchini, not pasta.

In this Parmesan Zucchini and Mashed Pea Salad, zucchini is the real star. In spiralized form, the zucchini stays super crisp, almost making you forget you’re eating a raw vegetable. Moreover, with the softer addition of the grated zucchini, the bite from the shallot, a crunch from the walnuts, and tons of mashed pea goodness: this salad is full of every good texture and flavor a simple salad could ever need. And it’s freaking amazing.

The breakdown…

This Parmesan Zucchini and Mashed Pea Salad recipe starts off with the bulk of the flavor of the salad: the parmesan mashed peas. Mashed peas are truly one of my favorite ways to eat the veggie. Although some of you may instantly be thinking about baby food, I urge you to think again. Really, these parmesan mashed peas are more of a healthy, less pureed version of the classic British “mushy peas.” Mushy peas, in my opinion, definitely have the consistency of baby food. Still, when I was in London a few years back, I still gave them a try. While the smooth texture wasn’t my favorite, I was absolutely blown away by the flavor. There’s just something about a cheesy buttery white wine mixture that can truly make any veggie shine. After that first bite, I quickly learned that peas aren’t an exception. 

On top of having a thicker consistency, these mashed peas are bit different than your classic mushy peas in the sense that they are healthier. As opposed to being cooked down in a stick of butter and a cup of heavy cream, these peas start off by being heated through in some white wine. Once tender, the peas get lightly mashed with just 2 tbsp of a fat of your choice. Olive oil and butter both work very well here, but you could also throw in some avocado oil or ghee. Personally, I like to go with a full bodied, flavorful olive oil. I usually keep both a cheaper and a fancier olive oil in my pantry, the ladder having more flavor. For these peas, it’s definitely worth using a stronger, nicer oil to get in all that good flavor! Same goes with butter… use the best you can find!

all about that cheese!

With that butter, stir in some parmesan cheese, lemon juice, dried tarragon, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. The cheese is absolutely essential. Whether you go with parmesan or pecorino, it’s up to you. Cheese really does make everything better, and truly brings a nice bite to the dish. Oh, and when paired with some acid from the lemon juice and some flavor from the tarragon and garlic, these peas are out of this world. After a few minutes on the stove to mesh in those flavors, you’ve got yourself a good base/dressing/puree for the rest of the salad. 

Speaking of that salad, let’s talk about the bulk of the dish: the zucchini. As mentioned above, the zoodles act as the perfect crispy base to this recipe. I don’t know if it’s something about the shape, but this is really the only way you will get me to eat zucchini raw. Like, seriously, you won’t even recognize the vegetable. Instead, you’ll probably just taste a delicious crunchy base to hold up all that rich cheesy pea goodness. Then, with the addition of some grated zucchini, the textures are completely out of this world. 

the zucchini strategy…

I oftentimes eat grated zucchini inside of my ground meat, aka to make my meatballs stay juicy. Last time I was prepping some of my meatballs for my Red Turkey Meatball and Kale Noodle Soup (the best soup ever!!), I decided to take a bite of the grated zucchini before tossing it into my bowl. While, yes, it tasted like zucchini, I was pleasantly surprised with how good the texture was. Hence, I knew I had to throw it into a salad.

Similar to when I use it in my meatballs, the grated zucchini in this Parmesan Zucchini and Mashed Pea Salad recipe should be drained of all liquids before use. I simply grate the zucchini on the smallest setting of my block grater and throw it into a few paper towels or a thin dish cloth. After a few squeezes over the sink, the zucchini isn’t filled with quite as much moisture, and doesn’t leave us with a soggy salad.

With our zucchini two ways, the last steps are to throw in some diced shallot and walnuts into the mix. Both of these ingredients can be easily substituted. They are really just there to bring in some more textures, as well as a good cruciferous bite and some toasty notes, respectively. Instead of the shallot, scallions, white onion, or red onion would be delicious — just make sure everything is really finely diced! And, as for the walnuts, any nut or seed will work wonderfully. Hazelnuts and almonds both come to mind as delicious substitutions.

so versatile!!

Really, though, this Parmesan Zucchini and Mashed Pea Salad is super customizable. Beyond just the nuts and the shallots, you can easily add a protein mixed in or on top of this dish. Pulled chicken would be delicious in this salad, but seared salmon, a flaky white fish, or any type of meatballs would also be delicious on top. You could even throw in a few chickpeas for some vegetarian protein — raw or oven roasted. Oh, and, to make this completely vegan, you could definitely substitute the parmesan cheese for nutritional yeast or vegan parm, just note that it may have a bit of a different taste.

Regardless of the substitutions and additions, though, this Parmesan Zucchini and Mashed Pea Salad is perfect for just about any occasion. I love to make it for my lunches throughout the week (makes for a great packed lunch!), or even as meal prep for the family. But, with a side or mix-in of a protein, it’s also delicious for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Better yet, throw it together as an impressive veggie side for luncheon or dinner party guests. Everyone will love this one —  I promise!

Whenever you make this Parmesan Zucchini and Mashed Pea Salad, I hope you love it as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below:)