Zucchini paste is made with fresh raw vegetables cut into thin strips resembling noodles or passed through a spiralizer. On the English-speaking Internet, this product has a funny nickname - zoodles, formed from the words zucchini (zoodles) and noodles (noodles).
How to make zucchini pasta
Although almost any zucchini can be “noodled”, small ones with thin skin are best suited for making them. They don't need to be peeled and they have a rich juicy taste. If you are making large zucchini noodles, stop as you approach the middle, which is full of seeds - it is not at all suitable for making.
One of the easiest ways to turn zucchini into a paste is with a spiralizer. It is well suited for making "spaghetti" not only from small zucchini, but also from other vegetables - cucumbers, juicy carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, and even cauliflower or broccoli stalks. But if you think that in the absence of a spiralizer, itching is not for you, then you are mistaken.
You can cut the zucchini into "strings" using a julienne peeler, manual Y-shaped, with small cloves, and get ribbons, like in fettuccine pasta, using a mandolin vegetable cutter.
They eat zucchini pasta both raw and boiled. Raw itch is added and discarded in a colander, leaving for 10 minutes to remove excess liquid. Then washed, dried with a paper towel and served in salads. For hot dishes, the zucchini pasta is either fried over medium heat or boiled in boiling water. The heat treatment takes a few minutes.
Step by step zucchini salad recipe
This delicious, light and fresh salad with a spicy and spicy vinaigar sauce is perfect as a side dish with chicken, fish or even hamburgers. Bright pistachios give the dish not only a pleasant aroma and taste, but also a delicious crunchy texture.
You will need:
- 6 medium zucchini;
- 1 cup chopped cilantro greens
- ½ cup peeled salted green pistachios
- ¼ glasses of olive oil;
- 2-3 limes;
- 1 small jalapeno pepper;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey;
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard;
- 1 clove of garlic;
- ¼ teaspoon of finely ground salt.
Start cooking with dressing. Squeeze the juice out of the limes. Pass the garlic through a press. Chop the pepper. Put half of the cilantro in a blender, add garlic, pepper, honey and mustard, add olive oil and juice. Grind everything into a single mass, season with salt.
Pass the zucchini through a spiralizer or cut with a vegetable peeler. Season with salt and leave in a colander for 10 minutes, drain off excess liquid, rinse and dry. Place in a bowl, season and stir, sprinkle with pistachios and serve. This salad can be kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Zucchini pasta with red sauce
This dish harmoniously combines a light zucchini pasta with a hearty red carrot and lentil sauce. This is a flavorful vegetarian dish that can be prepared quickly and easily.
You will need:
- 2 medium zucchini;
- 2-3 medium carrots;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of olive oil;
- 1 head of shallots;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- 400 g tomato sauce;
- 1 pinch of sea salt;
- 1 pinch of hot red pepper;
- 1 teaspoon dried basil;
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of cane sugar;
- ½ glass of water;
- 1 cup red lentils
Chop the garlic and shallots. Grate the carrots on a medium grater. Heat a wide, deep skillet over medium heat. Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes, reduce the heat and add the carrots, season with salt, basil, oregano, sugar, stir, add the sauce and hot water, stir and simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Increase heat, bring to a boil and add lentils. Stir again and reduce heat again, simmer for about 20 minutes. If the sauce gets thick, add some hot water. Try the finished sauce for a balance of flavors. Add sugar, salt, or hot pepper if desired.
While the carrots and lentils are cooking, make the pasta. Cut off the ends of zucchini, cut them into noodles using a spiralizer or vegetable peeler. Dip in boiling water for 3-5 minutes, discard in a colander, put on a plate and put the sauce on top. Choose the proportions of the ratio of pasta and sauce to your taste.
Homemade chicken soup with zucchini noodles
Give this classic chicken soup recipe a fresh twist by making it with squash noodles. You will need:
- 2 skinless chicken breasts;
- 1 bay leaf;
- 1 teaspoon of finely ground salt;
- 6 cups of chicken stock
- 2 medium zucchini zucchini;
- 1 medium carrot;
- ¼ heads of fresh onions;
- ½ lemon;
- 2-3 sprigs of thyme;
- a pinch of freshly ground black pepper.
Pour the broth into a saucepan, heat and dip the chicken breasts in a boiling liquid. Add bay leaves, thyme sprigs and onions. Cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, remove the foam with a slotted spoon. Put the finished chicken on a cutting board, cool slightly and use a fork to divide into small pieces. Remove the thyme, onion, and bay leaf from the broth.
Grind the zucchini and carrots into noodles. Put vegetables in a boiling broth and cook over low heat for about 3-5 minutes. Add the chicken and serve, season with pepper and garnish with lemon slices.
Frittata with zucchini noodles
This hearty fritatta is a fun, healthy breakfast that can be made effortlessly.
You will need:
- 1 medium zucchini;
- 6 large chicken eggs;
- 1 head of white onion;
- 1 large carrot;
- 2 cups spinach greens
- 1 large tomato;
- ¼ a glass of milk with a fat content of 2.5%;
- 1 teaspoon of finely ground salt;
- ground black pepper.
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a cast iron skillet without a handle or a baking dish. Chop the onion into half rings, cut the peeled carrots into thin rings, cut the noodles from the zucchini. In a skillet, first fry the onions and carrots until soft, then add the zucchini paste and spinach leaves. Stir and keep on fire for about a minute. Beat the eggs with milk and salt and pour into the vegetable mixture. Cook over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, then transfer the pan to the oven and bake for about 15-18 minutes. Slice and serve the fritattas hot.
Zucchini and tuna casserole
This common, hearty meal is rich in protein and will suit even those on a variety of diets.
You will need:
- 6 small zucchini zucchini;
- 2 cans of canned tuna, about 200 g each;
- 1-2 green chili peppers
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of Dijon mustard;
- 2-3 sticks of celery;
- 1 head of onion;
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of cornstarch;
- 2 tbsp. spoons of chopped green onions;
- ½ cup coconut milk
- salt and black pepper.
Trim the ends of the zucchini and cut them into the noodles using a spiralizer or vegetable cutter. Chop the onion into half rings and chop the celery sticks. Squeeze excess water out of the zucchini with a paper towel. Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet and sauté the onions and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and add the starch. Stir and wait until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn off heating.
Drain the excess liquid from canned tuna, put it in a bowl and add chopped chili peppers, chopped green onions, mustard, olive oil, add pepper and salt, stir. Combine the mixture with the zucchini paste in a baking dish, add the onion-celery sauce. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for 10-15 minutes. Serve in portions and sprinkle with chopped dill or parsley.
Adding tuna to the casserole, not in sauteed juice, but in tomato sauce, will transform the taste of the dish.
