Parmesan Mustard Zucchini Salad

I've never been huge on zucchini, because the way most people cook it is kinda of blah. People throw it on the barbecue or stick it in the oven and half the time it winds up mushy, watery and limp. Zucchini salad, on the other hand, I can totally get on board with.

Fresh shredded zucchini comes together with crisp red onion, tangy dressing and crunchy shelled pumpkin seeds in this simple zucchini salad. It's like a grown-up cole slaw, and it's a way more impressive item to bring along to a potluck.

A lot of people use zucchini salad with long, thin strands as a sort of replacement for pasta. Some even heat it and serve it like spaghetti. I wouldn't say it quite replaces those starchy carbs, but I haven't had spaghetti in almost two years so it definitely does the trick when I'm looking for a noodley consistency. I did replace my lasagna noodles with eggplant, so maybe the vegetable-turned-pasta purveyors are onto something.

Veggetti sent over their spiral vegetable cutter that slices vegetables like zucchini, carrots and potatoes into thick or thin strands with a few twists. It made this dish a cinch to make.

Five Minute Zucchini Salad

The combination of ingredients in this dish offers a little something for everyone. Slightly sweet and tangy with a deep-hued, almost woody flavor thanks to the olive oil and pepitas. This is the recipe that finally, finally got my husband to come around to zucchini salad. Using the Veggetti to do my shredding and a dressing cup to shake my drizzle ingredients together, I can whip this side dish up in five minutes flat.

Lest anyone think I'm going too frou frou with my shaved veggies and mustard glaze, I usually pair this zucchini salad with a good old-fashioned steak.