OK, it’s time to talk about zoodles. I’m a little late to the party, I know. People have been spiralizing different veggies for what seems like years, and I’m just jumping in now.
Forgive me, I’m really not the trendiest. But these need to be talked about.
I’ve tried multiple times to get onto the spaghetti squash train and I just have some lukewarm feelings there. First of all, those gourds are the HARDEST things to cut through. They take about 45 mins to prepare from start to finish – which basically takes them out of the quick, weeknight dinner category for me. The noodles are kinda mushy; they don’t feel very “noodley” to me. I’m not trying to hate on them, whatsoever, I like them in their own right, but they aren’t enough to satisfy my pasta cravings.
Enter: spiralized zucchini noodles. This is a noodle to me. Why? They meet the 3 basic noodle criteria!
1 – You can twirl them
2 – You can go all “Lady and The Tramp” without breakage (yes, JMan and I tested this, go ahead, make fun of us now)
3 – You can also delicately slurp up a singular noodle and splatter marinara all over your face
All jokes aside, I really do love spiralizing vegetables and I think it’s a great way to get additional nutrients and eliminate processed grains. I use the Paderno 4 Blade Spiralizer; it was an absolutely WONDERFUL gift. You can find it here at William’s Sonoma. (I am not an affiliate of this brand or any related, I just think it’s a fantastic product)
Photo Credit: Inspiralized . Many follow this blog for spiralizing inspiration (I do!). Check it out!
I feel like I should also tell you that I’m not a gadget girl whatsoever. Don’t let people fool you into believing you need the latest this and that just to be a good cook. You can bake without a mixer, you don’t need 6 different kinds of blenders and processors, you don’t have to have a garlic press or salad spinner. Your own two hands can accomplish a lot in the kitchen. However, this spiralizer can do things that my hands cannot, which is why I think it’s such a great investment.
Here are a few tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way:
1 – Read the directions. This sort of goes without saying, but totally a must for initial setup.
2 – Place the center of your vegetable on the center metal peg opposite of the side with the handle. This ensures even noodles.
3 – I like to cut my veggies into about 6-inch inch long pieces to decrease wobbling before spiralizing.
4 – If you’re using a vegetable with a high water content (like zucchini or squash), salt the noodles and let them sit for a min to let some of the water release. Drain them after.
5 – You may want to cut or break up your noodles after spiralization, some of them turn out really long!
6 – These don’t really need much cooking, if any at all. I like to toss them raw into a hot sauce to soften.
7 – Don’t feel weird if you feel the need to dance a little while you get your spiral on. Totally normal.
OK, so to make this really versatile lemon garlic version, start by getting your vegetables spiralized. For this, I used yellow and green zucchini (which is why I’m calling them zoodles) and a few carrots for added texture. This is SUCH a quick process, it takes less time than boiling a pot of water for pasta! Place them in a bowl with some salt to encourage the water to release. Drain them after a few mins and dry your bowl.
Look how fun the carrots are! They remind me of Shirley Temple curls!
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Mince up the garlic. Add the garlic to the hot oil and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the garlic starts to slightly brown. Add lemon juice and red pepper flakes for another 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add in your zoodles. Toss them until everyone is coated in the sauce, and you’re done!
I paired these with My Turkey Meatballs and Greek Yogurt Tzatziki which was posted earlier in the week. This can easily be topped with grilled chicken, additional veggies, steak, or whatever you have on hand!
Are any of you out there spiralizing? What’s your fave variation?
xoxx,
Miss AK
Print
Lemon Garlic Zucchini Noodles {gluten free, grain free, dairy free}
{gluten free, grain free, dairy free}
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 2 green zuchinii
- 2 yellow zuchini
- 1–2 large carrots
- *1/2 tsp of salt for noodles
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 tbsp of garlic
- 1 tsp of red pepper flakes
- juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Spiralize all veggies.
- Set them in a large bowl with salt to remove moisture.
- Drain & dry the bowl.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan.
- Mince garlic & add to hot pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add red pepper and lemon juice to cook for 1-2 additional minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat, and toss in the zoodles.
- Serve!
Note: This is a Miss Allie’s Kitchen original recipe, meaning this was lovingly formulated by yours truly . I’d love for you to try this one out, but if you’re posting this on your blog, site or social media account, make sure to link back to this original post. Please email before using any of my photographs in the Contact Me section above. Thank you!
DON’T FORGET TO PIN THIS FOR LATER:
I’m new to the spiralling game too! I just got mine last week, but I already love it! Thanks for the tip to salt zucchini noodles, definitely trying that this week!
Oh good, I’m glad you caught that then!! Wahoo let me know what you think, we can swap recipes.