zucchini pasta

Last night I came up with a new way to prepare zucchini pasta (aka raw zucchini cut into thin strips). I’ve made zucchini pasta by hand before but the old TITAN slicer was no longer cutting it (pun intended). My new love, the mandoline slicer, definitely makes life much easier -10 swipes over the sharp blades and I have a big bowl full of veggie noodles!

You could definitely eat the noodles raw, they’re crunchy and perfect when you want a cool dinner, but I thought it would be fun to cook the zucchini for a bit to create a softer texture and make the dish warm. After sautéing the noodles for about 6-7 minutes in a skillet pan sprayed with a little cooking spray they softened right up and were ready to be topped with sauce. Turns out Isaac had made some delicious tomato sauce the night before so I used that, but you could use a jarred or homemade sauce – whichever you please.

I LOVED the softer texture and warmness that the cooked zucchini pasta provided; the zucchini actually ended up tasting more noodle-like to me. Although, I will say that volume wise the zucchini definitely shrinks when it’s cooked so if you’re looking for volume eating it raw would be the way to go.

So to all my pasta lovers out there- now you can have low calorie, super healthy pasta without the funky fish odor of shirataki noodles. <– Yes, I will admit that I tried them but lets just say once was enough.

Looking for other healthy pasta options- give spaghetti squash, whole grain pasta varieties, soba noodles, or mung bean pasta a chance!

Try these links for some inspiration:

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Tomatoes and Ricotta

Tahini Noodles

Tasty Tomato Sauce

Whole Wheat Fettuccine with Shrimp and Peas

Pad Thai with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Spicy Tofu and Mung Bean Pasta

I’m sure my little friend would fully approve.

See you all tomorrow with the winner of the Cake Pops Giveaway!

-Brittany

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