A delicious Gluten Free alternative to pasta, Zoodles are super nutritious, have zero carbs, and are great way to increase your daily veggie intake!
Although my children would argue this point, you really can’t eat pasta everyday. While delicious, it’s full of carbs and should be enjoyed in moderation. Swapping out pasta for Zoodles (zucchini noodles) in some of our most loved quick and easy mid-week recipes makes them a little healthier, and they still taste just as good. Zoodles are easy to make, easy to cook (or not), and an easy way to make a healthy change to your favorite meals.
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What the heck are Zoodles?
Simply put, Zoodles are zucchini that has been cut into long, thin “noodles” with a spiralizer, a mandoline, a julienne peeler or even into long ribbons with a potato peeler. Any of these methods transform the zucchini into a pasta substitute that is way more healthy than pasta.
Zoodles are a great option for people watching their carb intake, following a Ketogenic diet, or looking for healthier, gluten free options. The difference between pasta and Zoodles is huge – a serving of Pasta is over 40 grams of carbs where a serving of Zoodles is under five. And zucchini is healthy and good for you! You can put anything on it that you would put on pasta. Crazy, right?
How to Turn Zucchini into Zoodles
In the beginning I was a little resistant to cooking with Zoodles, mostly because I really like pasta. What I didn’t realize is that substituting Zoodles in our usual pasta recipes makes the whole meal so much lighter than pasta and it is actually a really nice change, even if you’re not following a special diet.
I use 3-4 small zucchini, wash and trim the ends and then put them through the spiralizer. You don’t need a spiralizer – you can use a mandoline, a julienne peeler, or even a potato peeler, but the spiralizer is by far the most convenient way to make Zoodles.
You can buy all sorts of fancy spiralizers but my favorite one is the inexpensive Veggetti manual one that I picked up for about $10. You put the zucchini in and twist it, and when you’re done with it, it fits in the utensil drawer. Making Zoodles takes only minutes!
How to Cook Zoodles
I am going to let you in on a little secret. You don’t need to cook Zoodles at all. They are absolutely delicious raw in both cold and hot dishes. Many people feel like cooking Zoodles will make them soggy. If you are serving Zoodles in a dish with warm sauce, the sauce will warm the Zoodles while still keeping them crisp and fresh. So feel free to enjoy them raw.
If you want to cook them, there are many methods. In order to keep them from being soggy, the trick is to cook them quickly! The cooking time for my three favorite methods (boil, saute and microwave) is under three minutes.
In addition, you can bake them if you choose, which is supposed to reduce the water content in them but in my experience, really doesn’t make that much of a difference.
Common Zoodle Cooking Methods:
Cooking Method One: Boil the Zoodles
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Toss in your zucchini noodles and cook for two to three minutes. Remove from heat and drain the noodles in a colander. Blot with a paper towel before serving if desired.
Cooking Method Two: Saute the Zoodles
- Heat a large skillet on medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and saute the Zoodles for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Cooking Method Three: Microwave the Zoodles
- Place the Zoodles into a microwave safe dish and cook for 60-90 seconds, depending on the amount of Zoodles that you have. If you need to cook longer, do it in 30 second increments. Serve immediately.
Cooking Method Four: Bake the Zoodles
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels and spread the Zoodles out evenly. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 30 minutes until the paper towels have absorbed most of the moisture. Wrap the zoodles in the paper towels and gently squeeze out any remaining liquid. This helps to prevent your dish from becoming too watery.
Other Keto Friendly Recipes You May Like
Tuscan Shrimp and Zoodles – Tender shrimp in a creamy garlic sauce with just the right amount of Italian seasoning.
Penne Pasta with Vodka Sauce becomes low carb when served over Zoodles instead of pasta.
Keto Eggroll Bowl – Keto friendly and low carb, all the delicious flavors of an egg roll come together in this super easy one pan meal!
Big Mac Salad Bowl (Keto) – All the deliciousness of a Big Mac in a Keto friendly dinner salad!
Roasted Radishes – simple, flavorful and an absolutely delicious change of pace.
Keto Alfredo Spaghetti Squash Bake – Baked in a creamy, garlicky Alfredo sauce and topped with gooey mozzarella. So good!
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Zoodles (Zucchini Noodles)
A delicious gluten free alternative to pasta, Zoodles are super nutritious, have zero carbs, and are great way to increase your daily veggie intake!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 3 minutes mins
Course Side Dish, Sides
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Equipment
1 Spiralizer convenient, but not necessary
Ingredients
- 3-4 small zucchini cleaned and ends trimmed
Instructions
Making the Zoodles
Using a sprializer, mandoline, potato peeler or julienne peeler, transform the zucchini into noodles. Set aside.
Cooking Method One: Boil the Zoodles
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Toss in your zucchini noodles and cook for two to three minutes. Remove from heat and drain the noodles in a colander. Blot with a paper towel before serving if desired.
Cooking Method Two: Saute the Zoodles
Heat a large skillet on medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and saute the Zoodles for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Cooking Method Three: Microwave the Zoodles
Place the Zoodles into a microwave safe dish and cook for 60-90 seconds, depending on the amount of Zoodles that you have. If you need to cook longer, do it in 30 second increments. Serve immediately.
Cooking Method Four: Bake the Zoodles
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels and spread the Zoodles out evenly. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 30 minutes until the paper towels have absorbed most of the moisture. Wrap the zoodles in the paper towels and gently squeeze out any remaining liquid. This helps to prevent your dish from becoming too watery.
Keyword Easy, Keto, Side Dishes,, Sides, Vegetables, Zoodles, Zucchini
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Michelle Mundy As a busy working mom with kids on the go, I know how important it is to be able to make simple and delicious meals using everyday ingredients. The recipes shared here are family friendly with easy to understand step by step instructions. Tried and true, from our family to yours. Welcome to The Recipe Bandit! Click here to read more about me.
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