I used to eat pasta by the pound. Now I eat enough zucchini to feed a small village.
Zoodles are zucchini squash in noodle form. It is made with a tool called a spiralizer.
There are a lot of these tools on the market that can do the job. I have been using the same cheap, inexpensive hand held spiralizer for two years. It works like a champ.
I grew up on spaghetti and meatballs. Now it's zoodles and birdballs.
One of the biggest issues with zoodles is that people tend to overcook them. I don't cook them at all.
Here are some helpful tips on zoodle life
1. Always season your zoodles. Salt and pepper or any other seasoning that you dig
2. After salting your zoodles let them sit on a plate with some paper towels. Zucchini has a lot of moisture. The salt will draw some of it out while you prepare the rest of your dish.
3. Treat these bad boys as you would treat pasta. Red sauce, alfredo, pesto ... whatever sauce you would use on pasta. You can use it on top of your zoodles.
4. I prepare my meal and add my zoodles to the sauce pan with whatever sauce I am serving them with at the final moments of cooking. Toss your zoodles in the hot pan and serve. No need to cook them at all. Think pasta "al dente" or firm to the bite.
Nobody likes soggy noodles
Served with seafood or birdballs, zoodles are great. You can enjoy a large portion of one of your favorite pasta dishes without the carbs.
Some times I even make a small portion of linguine and toss it in with my zoodles. Serious game changer
There is nothing like a dish of spaghetti and meatballs ... swap it out for zoodles and birdballs to save a ton on ww points, carbs and calories.
Serve with your favorite marinara
This dish is only 3ww points
4 cups of zoodles (spiralized zucchini)
Season with salt and pepper and set aside while you prepare the rest of the meal.
2 oz of linguine
1lb of shrimp
4 oz of champagne
1/2 cup of chicken broth
4 cloves of garlic chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Peel and devain shrimp
Boil your salted water, add pasta and cook till tender to the bite.
In a large skillet add chicken broth and garlic and saute.
Season raw shrimp with salt and pepper and add to skillet on med high heat.
Once shrimp begin to turn pink add champagne and cook shrimp on other side.
Turn heat off, add pasta and zoodles to the skillet and toss in sauce.
Squeeze lemon , add cheese and serve.
Makes 4 servings
253 cal / 22 carbs/ 4.8 fat/ 25.2 protein
3 WW points per serving
Here is a great easy dish that is total comfort food.
Just remember - anything you would serve with or on top of pasta, you can serve with zoodles.
1 1/2 cups of Trader Joe's Saucy Scallops served with 2 cups of zoodles. Prepare the sauce in a skillet. Toss zoodles in sauce at the end of cook time and serve. Makes 1 serving for 6 WW points or share for 3 WW points each.
You don't need fancy tools. You just need tools to get the job done. I have a small, basic, hand held spiralizer that you can find in most stores.