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. Warm the oil in a medium frying pan, then add the sausages and cook them over medium heat. Turn them frequently so the outsides brown evenly, and take your time here. Transfer the sausages to a cutting board and let them cool.
2. As the sausages cook, make the dressing by blending or whisking together the basil pesto, vinaigrette dressing, and fresh-ground black pepper.
3. Set a colander in the sink and drain the red peppers. Blot them dry, then cut them into bite-sized pieces.
4. Pour the olives into that same colander to drain. Thinly slice enough green onions to measure 1/4 cup.
5. Once the sausage is cool enough to handle, cut it into thin rounds, about 3/8 inch or just over 1 cm.
6. Wash the zucchini if it needs it, then trim off both ends. Make a small lengthwise slit in the zucchini so the strands separate into individual noodles.
7. Use 1 of the 3 Ways to Make Noodles from Zucchini and Other Vegetables; for the Spiralizer, fit it with the large noodle blade.
8. Move the noodles to a bowl with room for all the ingredients. Add the amount of dressing you want, stirring until all the noodles are moistened.
9. Gently fold in the sliced sausage, red pepper pieces, olives, and sliced green onions.
10. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for a few hours before serving. This is still quite good after a night in the fridge, though the texture is best when freshly made.