Blee blee blee dooo. That was me trying to make one of those trumpet noises that they used to introduce the king/royalty/someone else important during medieval times.

Well, times have changed, and I’m introducing my new semi-weekly column, No-Cook Recipes, to this blog.

I decided to create this after my friend Tanvi commented on my Instagram that she would copy me if I had a weekly blog of no-cook recipes. I don’t know if I’m willing to go that far, but I’m happy to devote space every week to featuring new recipes that don’t require much stove or oven time.

This week, I bring you spaghetti with no-cook tomato sauce. It’s from Bon Appetit, but I tweaked it a little.

My favorite part about this recipe is the sauce. I’ve never thought about grating zucchini into a sauce before, but it adds some much-needed texture and pizzaz. It also pairs well with the tomatoes and hazelnuts.

This dish comes together relatively quickly, which is always good during the week when you get home from work after a long day and don’t feel like cooking. It also involves using the food processor, which can be pretty cathartic sometimes.

I forget when I first heard this song, but every time I listen to it, it reminds me of summer.

Spaghetti with No-Cook Tomato Sauce (slightly adapted from Bon Appetit)

Ingredients

½ cup blanched hazelnuts
1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
12 ounces spaghetti or linguine (I used gluten-free)
1 beefsteak tomato, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup basil leaves, divided
2 small zucchini (about 8 ounces), coarsely grated
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce shaved Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.

Place cherry tomatoes in a large bowl; season with salt.

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, purée beefsteak tomato, garlic, red pepper flakes, ½ cup basil, 3 Tbsp. chopped hazelnuts, and 1 tsp. salt in a food processor until smooth; add to bowl with salted cherry tomatoes. Add zucchini, spaghetti, pasta cooking liquid, ¼ cup oil, and remaining ½ cup basil leaves and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper.

Divide pasta among bowls, drizzle with more oil, and top with Parmesan cheese and remaining hazelnuts. Enjoy!