I came a little late to this party…
My friend bought me a fancy contraption a few years ago that could “turn a vegetable into a pasta.” I’m not saying that I’m a cynic-but I’m also not David Copperfield. I wasn’t buying it. One bloody finger and a broken carrot peeler later, my–what Dr. Seuss would probably name a “Diffendoofer”–was in the trash chute.
aforementioned “diffendoofer”
A few years later, a coworker was discussing, “Zoodling.” I did the whole, “head nod while inconspicuously checking the definition on my phone thing,” so as to not seem like the office idiot. This ruse was ultimately ruined by me yelling out, “No way! This is a thing?!” My google research had actually shown that the “Diffendoofer Jr.” my mother had given me in my stocking the Christmas before could actually be put to some use. (And yes, I still get a stocking every Christmas at 32 years old).
Diffendoofer Jr.
If you’re anything like me, the instant that a carbohydrate has passed your lips, your abdominal girth increases. I’ve struggled with my “belly” region my whole life (and let me be clear–I hate it when people over the age of 6 use the term “belly.” But let’s face it, that’s what we are dealing with when carbs are involved–a “belly.”).
I think Oprah said it best “I….. LOVE……. BREAD….” What she forgot to mention, is that not even SHE can get away with the “muffin top” look.
Enter-the zoodle.
Honestly I’m the health nut at work. So everyone was very shocked that I hadn’t made this revelation of using a replacement for pasta sooner. I think psychologically when the brain gets over the fact that the pasta is green, it’s definitely a decent substitution, especially if you have the right sauce. There’s also the added bonus of it being an extremely quick and easy meal to prepare.
I’ve gone back and forth between using zucchini and squash for this recipe. The ultimate deciding factor comes down to what sauce you choose to make. The squash I’ve found to be more flavorful, however, it’s also much softer than zucchini. If you’re using a thicker/heavier sauce, you may want to stick with the zucchini, to hold the sauce better.
For this recipe I am using both!
Yields: ~3 cups (cooked)
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
3 zucchinis
1 summer squash
1 dash salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 spiralizer (aka Diffendoofer)
1. Cut both ends of the vegetables off and run vegetables through the spiralizer. The “noodles” turn out to be very long, so I like to break them with my hands every so often. Otherwise you end up having 5 noodles that are about 2 feet long.
2. Set the “noodles” aside on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Zucchini and squash both have a very high water content. Salting them helps bring the moisture to the surface. Pat them dry with the paper towel about 15 minutes later. (This process prevents the dish from being a soggy mess).
3. Warm pan over medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Cook vegetables 2-3 minutes turning with tongs occasionally. (try not to turn too much or they get mushy)
4. Top with the sauce of your choice!
The Cook’s 2 cents:
· The vegetables used should be thick and relatively straight. If they are curved, cut them in half to get them as straight as possible. Otherwise, they won’t spiralize well.
· Aesthetically squash looks more like pasta because it’s yellow in color. If you’re having a hard time fooling yourself into eating vegetables as pasta, using squash instead might help.
· The salting step is crucial in this recipe. Don’t skip it.
· The sauce you’re using needs to be relatively dry due to the moisture content of the vegetables. If you’re using something with say, a lemon juice or water base, you must cook them separately from the vegetables. Otherwise you’ll be eating soup instead of pasta.
· The amount of vegetables you have after spiralizing may seem massive. However, it’s not as bulky as pasta and it also shrinks a bit when cooked, so it works out to be about 2 servings total.
Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups Servings per recipe: 2
Calories: 132 Fat: 8g Sodium: 31mg Carbs: 14g Fiber: 4g Sugars: 11g Protein: 5g
I like to top with my marinara sauce (shown in picture).
