The raw vegan diet may frustrate people at times, but it is one thing and one thing only: a simple, clean way of eating. This recipe is the perfect example of that. It consists of a select number of ingredients that work well together. It’s the pasta salad you can eat without experiencing the weighted, bloated feeling that can come from eating enriched noodles.

Unlike other zucchini noodle recipes, this recipe doesn’t require a dressing or sauce. The “dressing” is essentially lemon juice with some seasonings, and although that seems too simple to taste amazing, it does. We understand that some people may be skeptical about the flavor profile of this salad. The reality is that the ingredients in the salad, including the avocado, basil, cherry tomatoes, and red pepper flakes, offer layers of flavor. You get notes of acidity from the tomatoes and floral notes from the herbaceous basil. And the creamy avocado and citrusy lemon are a match made in flavor heaven. Well, that’s how we feel anyway.

One additional topping that is not on the ingredient list is the raw vegan parmesan cheese. It’s not cheese; rather, you can think of it as a blended mixture of cashews and nutritional yeast. You can click here to make that recipe, which is a completely optional topping for this zucchini noodle pasta salad. It’ll increase the calorie count a little, but it will also add another dimension of flavor. If you decide to add it to this recipe, let us know how you liked it in the comments.