It’s official! I am in love with my spiraliser! This gadget makes consuming vegetables a very enjoyable thing.
Zucchini noodles AKA zoodles is one my favourite spiralised item. It is healthier, lighter and tastier alternative to pasta. With a fraction of the calories compared to regular spaghetti or other pasta varieties, zoodles makes a great pasta replacement for those on a low carb/calorie, paleo, grain-free and gluten-free diets.
This pasta dish gets done in no time, and packs a lot of nutrition. This is a great way to get kids who are fussy with vegetables to get a good serving of vegetables in their diet.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- Zucchini (Large) – 1
For the Sauce:
- Juicy cherry tomatoes (or regular tomatoes) – 1 cup
- Garlic cloves – 3, peeled and finely chopped
- Fresh Basil – 8 to 10 leaves + a few more to garnish
- Tomato paste/passata/tomato ketchup – 1 tbslpn.
- Olive oil – ½ tblspn.
- Chilli flakes (optional) – ½ tspn.
- Salt and Pepper – To taste
Directions
- Trim the ends of the zucchini. I did not peel the zucchini, you could peel it if you prefer consuming the vegetable that way.
- Spiralise the zucchini using the noodle blades. I cut the zucchini in half, and spiralised it with the small and large noodle blade. Keep aside.
- Chop 8 to 10 basil leaves.
- Optionally, you could cut the cherry tomatoes if you like. I chose to keep it whole to allow it to break down while cooking.
- Heat oil in a skillet or pan.
- Add the garlic, and sauté for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Toss in the cherry tomatoes.
- Keep stirring the tomatoes and garlic. Allow the tomatoes to break down and release the juices.
- Mash a few tomatoes with the back of the ladle to make a sauce out of it.
- At this stage, add the tomato paste, passata or ketchup and chilli flakes. Give it a mix. You could also add a few tablespoons of water to make the mixture thick and saucy.
- Add the chopped basil. Give it a mix to combine the sauce and the herbs.
- Finally, add the spiralised zucchini noodles, and stir for about a minute.
- Once done, remove the pasta from the stove.
- Place them in serving bowls, and garnish with basil leaves.
- Serve fresh.
Tips:
- I used a spiraliser to make zucchini noodles. You could use a mandoline slicer or julienne peeler that can do the job.
- Add other fresh or dried herbs of your choice to make the pasta flavoursome.
- You can skip cooking the zucchini and mix the raw zoodles to the sauce.
- Add other vegetables in the sauce to pack more nutrition.
- Sprinkle some grated cheese for added flavour.
