It’s time to head out to the garden and get fresh produce paired with Pompeian Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil to make these Cheesy Baked Zoodles.  I’m sharing this recipe today in partnership with Pompeian, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of my favorite things about summer is all the fresh produce.  It’s so simple to head out to a local farm stand and pick up fresh produce or even from your own backyard.  This year, we decided not to do our own garden and now I regret it.  I’ll admit at first I thought we wouldn’t have time and maybe that is true but next year, we are doing our garden again.  I’m longing to just walk outside and pick my own produce straight from the garden.  Something about doing that just makes my heart happy.

The next best thing though is obviously fresh produce from your local fresh market or farm stand.  I decided to pick up some zucchini along with grape tomatoes and green onions to make these Cheesy Baked Zoodles.

Did you know that there is typically an Olive Oil that will go best with each food?  For instance for this particular recipe I chose Pompeian Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil because the flavor suits pastas well as opposed to a smooth variety.  I love pairing the Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil with fresh veggies because it’s a full-bodied flavor but with low acidity, which is what I’m going for when using foods like tomatoes.

Now, when choosing an olive oil, you want to be sure that you look for a high quality oil.  The oil should always have a Non-GMO Project Verification Seal.  This can be found on all Pompeian oils.  Next, you want to be sure the USDA Quality Monitored Seal is also on the bottle.  This ensures that the oil goes under frequent testing to verify that it is a high quality product.  Next, you want to be sure that the North American Olive Oil Association Seal is on the bottle too.  This also shows that even more testing has been done to be certain you are getting the quality that you are looking for in the oil.

Once you have ensured these labels are on the bottle, the bottle itself should also show the olives’ lot number and country of origin in order for it to be traced.  The bottles should also be dark in color, this helps prevent oxidation of the oil.  It allows it to stay fresh longer.

Did you know that all of this goes into picking out the perfect olive oil?  Choosing the right one actually plays a large roll in the taste of the food you are using it with.  I use olive oil regularly and typically will have both the Robust and Smooth varieties on hand at all times.

While making the Cheesy Baked Zoodles, I combined the zucchini with olive oil, garlic, and sea salt to give the zucchini a wonderful flavor that combined with the cheese on top made for a delicious dinner or side dish.  We like to pair ours with chicken; however, it can also be served as is for a nice vegetarian meal.

Are you ready for a delicious bite?  I sure am!  Be sure to stop by Pompeian to learn more about Olive Oil plus be sure to pick up your Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil at your local store.

Enjoy!

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Cheesy Baked Zoodles

Yield: 6

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Ingredients

• 2 Medium Sized Zucchini
• 1 Tbsp Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Clove Garlic, Crushed
• 1 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Cup Grape Tomatoes, Halved
• 1/4 Cup Green Onion, Diced
• 6 Slices Fresh Mozzarella
• Dried Rosemary
• Dried Parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400*.
2. Begin by using a spiralizer to grate the zucchini into zoodles.
3. Place the zoodles in a greased cast iron skillet.
4. Mix the zoodles with olive oil, garlic, and sea salt.
5. Place the zoodles in the oven for 20 minutes or until soft.
6. Carefully remove from the oven and mix in the tomatoes and onion.
7. Evenly place the cheese slices on top.
8. Evenly sprinkle the dried rosemary and parsley over the entire dish.
9. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese melts.
10. Serve.