As someone who counts every calorie, this is an exciting discovery.
I tend to avoid pasta due to the calories, but doing so rules out a pretty common and versatile option for meals, especially when I’m cooking for people who enjoy pasta. So naturally I took to the internet to find a solution. Now, I love making my zoodles recipe!
How Do You Make Zoodles?
The zucchini noodle, or zoodle craze isn’t new in general, but it’s new to me. It’s been really fun reading about the different zoodle recipes online! Spiralizing veggies can be done without a spiralizer, so I’ve heard, but I wasn’t confident enough to DIY.
Having a feeling I’d enjoy this, I did my research and found a great spiralizer by Mueller on Amazon for $25. There’s a lot of good ones out there, but this one works vertically. It’s even easier when gravity does a lot of the work.
How Many Zucchinis Do I Zoodle?
Two medium zucchinis are about 4 cups of zoodles which was a moderate amount for a 2-adult meal. I’ll be going with 3 zucchinis next time just to be safe, though, I’m feeding a 6’7″ man here!
Prepping My Zoodles Recipe
Once spiralized, I cooked them in a sauce pan with about 2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil and a little bit of pink Himalayan salt. I left them on low heat for 12-15 minutes, at which point they reached a soft, al dente pasta-y texture.
To top I used my white pasta sauce recipe (as featured in my pink pasta sauce post) and you would never know these were not carb-filled, glutenous noodles, they feel just the same and the topping completely masks any zucchini taste (not that there is much to begin with).
My First Zoodle Dish
Salmon and zoodles in my homemade white sauce, a real home run! Fish and zoodles are an amazing combination. LowΒ in calories and very filling.
I served them with salmon seasoned in Tony’s Creole Seasoning and Crushed Red Pepper, which I also highly recommend.
Do Zucchinis Cost More Than Pasta?
Not really! Zucchini is usually under a dollar per pound. Three zucchinis aren’t even a pound by me so you can get a full serving for the same price as the $1 box of pasta minus the 400+ calories and carbs. Not to mention all the vitamins in veggies.
Another Way to Prep Zoodles
Tilapia and zoodles with black pepper and Parmesan are another great option we’ve tried and loved.
We enjoyed the first dish so much we had it the next day, too! I wanted to give it a shot without a thick, creamy sauce and yes, they were just as delicious with a lighter seasoning.
It was still simple prep, same as the first recipe with 2 tsp of extra virgin olive oil in a sauce pan for 12-15 minutes, this time I did not peel the skin off and it was just as fabulous! Really it is just a matter of preference.
What Else Can You Spiralize?
I’ve tried zucchini and potato, which have been great successes, but I’ve also heard of squash and carrots being made into zoodles. Carrots are just trickier to spiralize since they are thinner. My new game plan is to hit the grocery store and look around at the offerings, eyeballing what will or won’t spiral well in my new gadget.
If you get to experimenting you MUST share your zoodles recipe with me in the comments below. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram for a feature!
