Eat Smarter: The New Way to Pasta

Zucchini Noodles
Zucchini Noodles

I am absolutely addicted to spiralized noodles!  A friend of mine had become obsessed with zucchini noodles and wanted me to try it out, so she ordered a spiralizer for me and she started my latest food addiction.

Who needs all of those carbs from pasta noodles?  Not me.  Who wants to spend over half an hour just trying to cook a pot of noodles?  Not me.

Spiralized noodles are easy to make and very addictive.  They’re also so much healthier for you than regular semolina pasta.  All you need is a spiralizer, your choice vegetable (zucchini and squash are the most popular), and a sauce of your choice.


I love spaghetti with meat sauce, but I don’t like that gut feeling you get afterward.  Substituting the semolina spaghetti with zucchini noodles has become one of my favorite dishes.

The great thing about zucchini noodles is that you don’t have to boil them very long.  Just bring a small pot of water to a boil, add the zucchini noodles (sometimes called ‘zoodles’), cook for 2 minutes (keep your eye on the clock), then remove the noodles from the water.  Add the sauce of your choice on top and you’ve got an incredibly tasty meal.

Zucchini Noodles in Pesto Sauce
Zucchini Noodles in Pesto Sauce
Zucchini Noodles with Meatballs
Zucchini Noodles with Meatballs

After going Zoodles, I’m never going back to regular pasta.  I ended up donating all of my regular pasta to the food bank.

I have been trying out other versions of spiralized noodles and recipes.  I just recently made a Thai peanut sauce version with spiralized Korean squash.  I didn’t even need to boil the noodles.  I just tossed it into the stir fry and in a minute, it was done.

Trust me…you really won’t miss regular noodles.

The great thing about spiralizing vegetables is that you’re not only sneaking in more vegetables into your diet and cutting out the bad carbs, but you’re also consciously changing the way you’re eating.  If you can substitute the bad stuff with the good stuff and the meal tastes amazing, why stick to the bad stuff?

My friend gave me the Pro Cuisine Spiralizer, which comes in a bundle that includes several accessories, as well as a little cookbook with recipes.  It’s an inexpensive tool to add to your kitchen arsenal (currently $12.99 at Amazon.com).  It’s perfect if it’s just you, or two people.  If you have a family, you’re better off going with the bigger spiralizer for a few dollars more.  The crank on the bigger spiralizer makes it easier to spiralize more vegetables.  The smaller one is better if you’re only spiralizing one or two vegetables at a time.

I love my spiralizer.  It’s one of the best gifts I’ve received in a long time,, and one of the best new tools in my kitchen.