Zucchini Noodle Mock Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 4 or 5 links Italian sausage
• 1 jar roasted red peppers
• 1 can black olives
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
• 2 medium zucchini, 9-10 inches long
• 1/4 cup basil pesto
• 1/2 cup purchased vinaigrette dressing
• fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized frying pan and cook the sausages over medium heat until they’re nicely browned on all sides, turning often. (Don’t rush this step.) Put browned sausage on a cutting board to cool.While the sausage cooks, blend or whisk together the basil pesto, vinaigrette dressing, and fresh-ground black pepper to make the dressing.Drain the red peppers in a colander placed in the sink, then pat dry and cut into bite sized pieces.Drain the olives into the same colander.
2. Thinly slice enough green onions to make 1/4 cup.When it’s cool enough to handle, slice the sausage into thin slices, about 3/8 inch or just over 1 cm.Wash zucchini if needed and cut off both ends.
3. Make a small slit lengthwise in the zucchini so you’ll get individual noodles.Use one of the Three Ways to Make Noodles from Zucchini and Other Vegetables; I used the Spiralizer with the large noodle blade.Put the noodles into a bowl big enough to hold all the ingredients.
4. Stir in desired amount of dressing to moisten all the noodles.Then gently stir in the sliced sausage, red pepper pieces, olives, and sliced green onions.Serve right away or chill for a few hours before serving. (This was still quite good after it has been in the fridge overnight, although it was best freshly made.)