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GET IT NOWMy love for zucchini runs deep. It’s probably my favorite vegetable, if I had to choose. And since I spent so many years eating low carb, zucchini noodles (a.k.a. zoodles for short) have made their appearance at my family’s dinner table hundreds of times. It’s driven me to perfect my method to make them just right — tender without being mushy, and most importantly, never watery. Even my carb-loving 7-year-old loves them like this. This zucchini noodles recipe has been my go-to staple pasta swap again and again… and again. Let’s get spiraling!
Why You’ll Love My Zucchini Noodles Recipe
- Healthy pasta replacement – While you can easily turn this squash into a zucchini side dish, my zoodles are a fantastic, healthier substitute for traditional pasta.
- Guaranteed not watery – No more watering down your sauce! I’ve got 2 foolproof methods for cooking zucchini noodles that won’t leave a puddle on your plate.
- Quick and easy to make – These are a breeze to whip up, and you can use whatever tools you’ve got (7 options below). I adore them as a healthy side dish for busy weeknights.
- Low carb, keto, and gluten free – Not to mention you get your veggies and feel lighter afterward, without missing out on comfort food vibes. I’ve turned all kinds of pasta dishes into zucchini noodle recipes.
How To Make Zoodles
I’ve made zoodles every which way and definitely have a favorite method, but you’ve got options! Here are 7 different tools you can use to make them:
- Countertop Spiralizer – My top recommendation, because it’s the fastest, fuss-free, and makes zucchini noodles with a uniform thickness. I have this countertop spiralizer and love the giant suction cup on the bottom, so unlike others it doesn’t slide around on the counter. Cut off the ends of the zucchini first. Skewer one end onto the side of the spiralizer that has the handle, then poke the other end into the side that has the blade. Crank the handle repeatedly, pushing the zucchini toward the blade. See my picture below for a visual!
- Handheld Spiralizer – I had this handheld spiralizer for a while. It’s a good option to save on kitchen space. But, I didn’t love the effort required to use it (you have to manually twist), and the zoodles come out on the thinner side.
- Julienne Peeler – This one used to be my favorite way to make zucchini noodles without a spiralizer (before I got one) and is also a space-saver. Just run it along the zucchini lengthwise to create noodle-like strands. Once you reach the core, flip and repeat on the other side. Do this with all 4 sides of the zucchini.
- Mandoline – I recently got this mandoline and discovered it can make zucchini noodles using the julienne setting. And the flat setting is super handy for my fave zucchini lasagna, zucchini salad, and grilled zucchini.
- Knife – This is basically just cutting the zucchini into thin strips. It’s time consuming and hard to get the noodles thin enough. I don’t recommend it.
- Stand Mixer – You can get an attachment specifically for spiralizing, like this one.
- Food Processor – My food processor has a spiralizing attachment option, too.
My Tips For Spiralizing
I use a countertop spiralizer to make zucchini noodles the most! Here are my tips to help you use it effectively:
- Choose zucchini with a smaller diameter if you can. These are more sturdy, and I find they release less water.
- Make sure the zucchini is centered on the spiralizer. That way, you’ll end up with more of the best zucchini noodles, which are the ones that include the edges and skin. The middle ones tend to be mushier. Also, this will reduce super short pieces.
- Trim your zoodles before cooking. I used to snip them in the bowl at the end, but these days I do it as I spiralize.
- What to do with the core? You could discard it, but I like to avoid waste and throw it into a vegetable stir fry.
How To Cook Zucchini Noodles
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
Most people cook zucchini noodles in a skillet, but you can also do it in the oven (actually my favorite method!) or eat them raw in a zucchini noodle salad. (I don’t recommend boiling, blanching, or microwaving, as the results are watery.) I’ll cover the stovetop and oven methods here:
Stovetop Method:
Cooking zoodles on the stovetop is my go-to in the summer when the last thing I want to do is crank up the oven. The only catch is, you have to watch them closely to avoid mushy noodles, and you don’t get quite as much volume as my oven method. Here’s how I do it:
- Drain the zoodles first. Place them in a colander over the sink and toss with salt. Let them drain, then squeeze gently to release more water. Rinse off the salt and pat dry.
- Saute in a large skillet. Use medium-high heat to help excess moisture evaporate. It usually takes me just a few minutes, but might take longer if you make a lot at once. Toss your zucchini noodles recipe with a warm sauce and enjoy!
My Tips For The Stovetop Method:
- After draining, squeeze out excess water but not every last drop. If you squeeze the zucchini noodles too much, they’ll end up mushy and lifeless. I just get most of the water out.
- Use a heavy pan over medium-high heat. This encourages evaporation and reduces the chance of water remaining. My pictures above are older, but now I always use this cast iron pan and love it!
- Don’t cover the pan or add salt during cooking. This will make the zucchini release more water. You can use a salty sauce instead, or add salt at the end.
- Be careful not to overcook. 3 or 4 minutes is usually my sweet spot. The longer you cook, the more water will seep out.
- Don’t leave the zoodles in the pan. If you do, they’ll continue to soften and release moisture.
- Add the sauce only at the end. I heat the sauce before I cook my zucchini noodles, so that it’s ready to go and I don’t have to keep heating to warm up the dish. If you cook the zoodles in the sauce, they’ll make your sauce watery.
Oven Method:
Baking zoodles is my favorite, because I can skip the whole draining and squeezing hassle. Plus, they don’t shrink as much, so you end up with a bigger batch. The only downside is you need a huge pan and the hot oven is not ideal in the summer. Here’s how I cook zucchini noodles in the oven:
- Season the noodles. While your oven preheats, arrange the zoodles on a very large baking sheet, and toss them with sea salt.
- Bake until tender. The excess moisture will evaporate as they cook!
- Pat them dry. Use paper towels to remove any remaining moisture, then toss with your favorite sauce.
My Tips For The Oven Method:
- Use an extra large sheet pan. The oven method dries the noodles beautifully, but this only works if they are spread out in a very thin layer. The bigger the pan, the better! I love this oven-safe griddle pan or if you want to make more servings, this extra large sheet pan. If your non-stick surface isn’t great or you want easier cleanup, line your pan with parchment paper first.
- Don’t overcook. Like the stovetop method, baking for too long can make your zoodles recipe mushy. The time can vary a bit depending on how thick your spiralizer makes noodles.
Check out my comparison below between the stovetop and oven methods. You’ll see the sautéed ones look a bit smaller and softer, but both ways give you nice, dry zucchini noodles — no soggy water puddles on the plate!
Storage & Meal Prep
- Meal prep: I love, love zucchini noodles for meal prep! You can spiralize them ahead of time and keep them in the fridge uncooked. Pat dry and cook right before eating. They last 1-2 days normally, but I use these vacuum glass containers to make them last 3-4 days.
- Leftovers: I try to avoid cooking zoodles in advance because they get mushy later, but you can keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. They will continue to release water, so pat them dry again before serving.
- Reheat: Stir frying on the stove for a few minutes is the easiest and fastest.
- Freeze: I have a tutorial for freezing zucchini noodles here! Just be aware they’ll be mushier than fresh ones.
Serving Ideas
These are a blank canvas, so you can turn them into many different zucchini noodle recipes. Serve my basic version below (with butter or olive oil, salt, and pepper) as a side dish to any healthy dinner, or make a pasta-like meal with add-ins:
- Sauce – Jazz up your zoodles recipe with Alfredo sauce (my homemade one is pictured above), basil pesto, or marinara.
- Flavor Boosters – Sometimes I add a sprinkle of garlic powder (or even sauteed minced garlic), grated parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, or fresh herbs.
- Protein – Toss in some sauteed shrimp. Add shredded Instant Pot chicken breast or sliced baked chicken breast. Top with juicy meatballs. Stir in some tender steak bites with garlic butter (my fave) or sliced sirloin steak. Endless possibilities!
- Other Veggies – I like to saute vegetables before I cook the zucchini noodles, then add them in again at the end.
TIP: I recommend thick sauce for zucchini noodles, if you’re adding one.
They’ll seep water as they sit and thin out the sauce too much if it’s already thin. This happens less with the oven method, though.
If you liked this tutorial, check out my other meal prep staples: quick cauliflower rice, crispy bacon in the oven, perfect (easy peel) hard boiled eggs, and 5-ingredient homemade mayonnaise.
Zucchini Noodles Recipe (Zoodles)
Learn how to make zucchini noodles perfectly – never watery! Use my easy zoodles recipe as a healthy, low carb swap for your favorite pasta.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
How To Make Zucchini Noodles:
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Make zucchini noodles using a spiralizer (I recommend this one that doesn't slide around). To do this, cut off the ends of the zucchini first. Skewer one end onto the side that has the handle, and the other end into the side with the blade. Crank the handle, pushing the zucchini toward the blade. Check the post above for tips, or other methods if you don't have a spiralizer! Pat dry with paper towels.
Oven Cooking Method:
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Grease an extra large baking sheet. (Use parchment paper if it's not non-stick.)
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Arrange the zucchini on the baking sheet in a thin layer, making sure not to crowd the pan. Sprinkle with sea salt lightly and toss.
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Bake for about 15 minutes, until al dente tender. (You can cook longer if you want them softer.)
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Pat the zoodles dry with a double layer of paper towels.
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Toss with melted butter or olive oil, black pepper, and more sea salt to taste if needed.
Stovetop Cooking Method:
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Place zucchini noodles into a colander over the sink. Sprinkle with sea salt and toss. Let them drain for 20-30 minutes.
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Squeeze the zoodles gently over the sink to release more water. No need to get out every last drop, but just the majority. Rinse off any excess salt and pat dry.
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Heat the butter or olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the zoodles and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, until al dente tender. (Cooking time may vary depending on how much zucchini you have and the size of your pan.) Season with black pepper and more sea salt to taste.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Cheat Sheet System and Healthy Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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How To Make Zucchini Noodles
Gratitude Moment
I’m trying something new starting today! At the bottom of every post, I’m going to write about something I’m grateful for — because the world has been so crazy lately and I’m craving positivity! Do you feel the same way?
I got to take a work trip with my kids last week. We visited Palm Springs for a blogger retreat, and we all brought our kids! They played while we talked about blogging. I’m grateful to have a job that lets me travel with my family… not always, but this was wonderful. Here’s us at a Mexican restaurant for dinner there. Have you traveled somewhere interesting recently?
107 Comments
Nancy M.
1I’ve been making zucchini noodles for quite some time, but just discovered your oven method. You said it was your favorite method, and now it’s mine as well. The difference is amazing, and well worth the tiny bit of extra effort. Thank you so much.
Rachel
1Oh. Holy. Gamechanger!!! Brand new spiralizer, only a month into my healthy diet lifestyle renovation, and apparently I’m a zoodles junkie! That was so gloriously delicious! I followed your recipe exactly with the addition of 3 ingredients to turn it into Zoodles Pomodoro. I sauteed 2 cloves of garlic. And 2 roma tomatoes, bith chupoed, in a bit of olive oil about 5 mins before the zoodles were to come out of the oven. Garlic was starting to clarifh, so the zoodles came out of the oven, get a quick pat down to remove water, 2 Tbsp of butter went into pan with more sea salt and pepper. Tossed zoodles in the sauce while sprinkling w 1/4 cup shaved parmesan. Less than one min in pan tossing noodles, plated, and it was phenomenal pomodoro! I’m stunned, right now. I forsee at least a 2x a week zoodles habit. Thank you!!!
Jane
1The very best advice on zoodles I’ve ever read. And therefore my zoodles were a complete success tonight!
Sofy
1I cooked a zoodles for about 4 min on the pan with ghee butter, after I squeezed zoodles with kitchen paper towels. Very tasty! I wish I cut more from the beginning 🙂 Thank you for your recipe! Definitely will try again
Deborah-Miriam
1Thanks for all the tips! I was very short on time, so opted for the pan method, but I didn’t have 30 mins to drain zoodles first. However, with your expert guidance I used the only outermost layers of two large zucchinis instead of trying to julienne every last drop of one, so I eliminated the softer/wetter core. (I saved the cores for stir fry another time as you suggest.) Then because you emphasized it so much, I used paper towels to pat-pat-pat the strands thoroughly to eliminate as much moisture as possible. I stir fried it in three batches, since, again, you emphasized that piling them up makes them steam and get mushy. Doing all these things resulted in the best zoodles I’ve made yet! I’m eager to try to oven method when I have more time. PS – Can’t eat marinara sauce because of allergies, so I used the last of the vegan pesto I froze last August. Delish!
Sharon
1I appreciate your thorough instructions for making zoodles. Even my husband will eat them now! After salting, and letting them sit and drain for 30 minutes, I put them in my salad spinner and spun out the rest of the moisture. That way,I didn’t have to do any squeezing before pan frying. I know this method reduces volume, but really, what’s the downside to eating more veggies? They were perfect with the shrimp scampi!
Thanks for all the great information and education!
Anthony Neofotistos
1These were delicious! I used the oven method and they came out just perfect. Topped it off with some low carb pasta sauce and some sautéed chicken sausage. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Aqua
0Thank you so much for all these recipes. They definitely help me with my diet and keep me full.
Wholesome Yum D
0You’re very welcome, Aqua! I’m so glad the recipes are helping you stay full and on track, that means a lot to hear.
Gloria
0I make zoodles with the attachment on my processor. I like mine with pesto and my husband likes tomato sauce. We get the sauces ready and put the zoodles right in the sauce when they’re made. We heat them for a few minutes and they taste great. They don’t release a lot of water in the short time it takes to warm them. We like our pasta (when we ate it) and zoodles al dente.
I do like the oven method for preparing zucchini for lasagna though. Before learning this method the lasagna did get watery.
Rosie
0I tried the Zucchini Noodles recipe and added the Basil Pesto recipe using almonds and they both turned out very well, except for my keeping the noodles in the frying pan a little longer than I should have (despite your note to use caution here). However, my guests really enjoyed the combination and finished it all! 😋
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad to hear that, Rosie! It must have still turned out well since your guests ate it all!
Dara
0Preparing the noodles in advance made dinner prep a breeze, though I recommend cooking them right before serving to avoid any mushiness.
Diana Batema
0I made the oven baked zoodles. Oh my goodness, so delicious! I just need to use less butter for tossing. lol
Jill Bernstein
0I’m another convert to the oven method. So much better than my previous sautéing! I sometimes add different seasonings to mix it up, but otherwise stick to the terrific, easy recipe.
Denise
0As a diabetic, I love zoodles and your oven method is great! I put fresh mushrooms with them to help soak up some of the juices while in the oven.
Carla
0I’m so happy you reprinted this. It reminded me to ‘save’ this time! I love these zoodles and my husband doesn’t mind them about 4 times. (then he wants a dish of the real ones) But, he’ll start all over again. I haven’t had ‘pasta’ in so long – I can’t remember. I use the sliced ones (longwise) for lasagna and other casseroles along with slicing for other types of casseroles. They always go into my frittatas and puffy egg omellet recipes I’ve saved from your site – which are devine. Egg cups included!
katie
0I loved your clear instructions. I spiralized two zucchini, but many of them came out as little half-moon shapes, plus some long spirals. Did them in the oven as per your method, then added the butter. They tasted great but didn’t look anything like as fat and luscious as yours – what could I be doing wrong?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Katie, It sounds like your zoodles might have been in the oven a bit too long. Ovens vary and it can also depend on your spiralizer and how thick it makes the noodles, so you can try less time next time.
Clarice
0I have always wanted to make zucc noodles, I finally got a spiralizer, I baked them in the oven and they came out great. I miss pasta and so far this is the closest I have come.. thank you..
Jessica
0This has quickly become one of my favorite ways to prepare my bounty of summer zukes. Such an easy way to cut the carbs in a lot of my favorite recipes, too.
Gen
0We always have tons of zucchini in the summer and I’m looking for more things to do with it. We hadn’t had zucchini noodles in so long – thank you so much for this helpful guide! So much cheaper to make at home than buying them.
Ali
0PERFECT!! I made mine in the oven and it was the best way I’ve ever made them!! Thank you for that tip!! I served mine with some pesto as well – it was sooooooo good!
Erin
0I’m so glad I finally tried zucchini noodles! They were so easy to make with your guide. Thanks for the great instructions! Will make again
Lezlie Ely
0I make Zucchini alot – veg of choice, but I don’t spiralize much, as I only have a hand held device, plus didn’t remember exactly what I needed to do. Now I am going to try again, prob on the stove 1st, as my preferred oven is an Oster and not big enough for a Big tray. The other, too hot to use now here in AZ.
I appreciate you taking the time to show us these. Happy eating 🙂
LS
0Love the oven method! We’ve always spiraled the zucchini then done the saute version on the stovetop, but they’re much less watery with the oven. We have burned them/dried them up several times at the recommended temp/time so still playing with those, but so glad you started us on this path.
Stacey
0Have you ever tried the oven method on a grill? Sometimes in the summer I’ll use the grill as an oven to avoid the heat in the house.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Stacey, I have done that with other dishes but with this specific one.
Faith Maes
0What is the Oven Temperature?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Faith, 350 degrees. You can find the information on the recipe card.
Pamela Tomkinson
0Hello, I would like to know the best way to print this zuke noodle guide? Do you have a copy to purchase???
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Pamela, You can print the instructions on the recipe card. Right next to the ingredients, you will find a print button. The entire post is not currently printable, but you can save it to your favorites by using the “Save Recipe” button on the recipe card.
Adrienne
0I can’t find a print button☹️
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Adrienne, You can find the print button right under the video in the recipe card.
Ingrid
0It was my first time making and cooking zucchini noodles and I chose your oven recipe to follow as it looked good. I sprinkled them with sea salt before putting them in the oven just as you said to do and cooked them at 180degrees Celsius (fan forced) for 15 mins. But they came out shrivelled and stuck to the baking paper and far too salty to eat (I had to throw them away.)
I wondered whether you had forgotten to tell us how and when to wash the salt off??
I’m willing to try again if I can have more specific instructions. Ingrid
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Ingrid, It sounds like you over salted the noodles, you just need a small sprinkle. I also recommend unsalted butter for this recipe. I also think you over baked the noodles if they came out of the oven dry, try decreasing the cooking time.
Marie Jackson
0Can I spiralize the zucchini noodles the day before cooking and store overnight in the fridge covered in a colander inside a bowl?? Thank you.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Marie, Yes you can do that.
Michael
0I used frozen store-bought zucchini “veggie spirals”. I microwaved the bag for two minutes on high, and then emptied the back into a colander to drain (there was already plenty of water). There was still a partially frozen chunk in the middle which was easy to break up with my fingers. Then I spread it out on a large cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray and used paper towels to blot up as much moisture as I could. Baked at 350F for 15 minutes. They came out about the consistency of angel hair pasta. Not mushy, and still holding together in long strands. Of course, since they were previously frozen they didn’t have the body of fresh zucchini spirals, but it worked in a pinch.
peggy Haga
0how do you use the spiralizer on a large zucchini?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Peggy, The countertop spiralizer or julienne peeler can definitely handle a large zucchini, the handheld one may not.
Kristyn
0Zucchini noodles are fun to make & taste yummy! Love using them for salads & pasta dishes.
Natalie
0I love the benefits of eating & using zucchini noodles! To me, they are just as good!
Amy L Huntley
0Zucchini Noodles are perfect alone or with some sort of sauce on top! Now that I have a ton of zucchini in my garden, I will be making these at least once a week if not more!
Christine
0It is not necessary to cook zoodles if you are adding a hot sauce to them. They will soften up to the perfect al dente when mixed with the sauce.
JudytheBaker
0I usually make Zoodles on the stove top, the way you show in your cookbook. This time, I decided to try the oven method. I noticed three things:
One. There’s more control by the stove top method.
2. I lost a lot more volume with the oven method. I had to add some cooked kale to have enough for dinner.
3. I had 20 ounces of zucchini purchased. After trimming the ends off zucchini , I lost 4 ounces. I woukd suggest buying 24 ounces.
I love having zoodles for dinner. , We had them with veggie meat, cheese, and sauce.
Judy the Baker
0Oh, THANK YOU!!! I’ve been using your squeezing method in the cookbook. It isn’t good for someone with arthritis! This is a game changer! I saw the recipe using the zoodles with meatballs. I had just made something similar with Beyond Meatballs. It was delicious!!! I’s so excited. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
Linda
0Excellent guide, which I’m trying this week. My zoodles have been watery to date, so I’m looking forward to using your excellent strategies to remove the swamp!
Doug
0I tried the baking method. Set oven at 350 and timer for 15 minutes. At about 12 minutes I smelled them cooking. When I checked almost all of them where dried to the bottom of the pan and the rest were mushy.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Doug, Sounds like you have a hot spot in your oven. Try moving the rack further away from the heating element and rotating the pan midway during the cooking process.
Teena
0Wow, I have a very limited of “liked” vegetables and this version of noodles can trick me into eating them any day. I topped with a store-bought cauliflower-alfredo sauce and it was delicious! Can’t wait to try these noodles in a spaghetti recipe. Very easy to make!
Kim B.
0I’ve made these zoodles using the oven method several times now and they never disappoint!! Even my picky 9 year old likes them 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Kristie Gonzales
0Too bland for me but I do love zucchini! Maybe I will bake them next time. I am used to zoodles in richer Sauces too.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kristie, Sorry these didn’t suit your tastes. Zucchini noodles are a black canvas for any great sauce you prefer!
Mary
0Can you put noodles on rack on cookie sheet for more water removal?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Mary, Yes that would work fine.
Mary
0I will let you know how it works. Making them later today.
Amy
0Thank you for this. I have tried zoodles with very little luck because they became watery so this helped me to see what I did wrong. I cannot wait to try again
Peter Ratcliffe
0Thanks so much! We recently installed a gas range with an air fryer built into the oven (and we LOVE it!) so I was wondering, have you ever tried zoodles in an air fryer? What would you suggest as parameters for trying it? I wouldn’t want them to shrink up or turn brown… Thanks so much Maya! You’re a godsend! I’m in week 3 and feel fantastic!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Peter, I think an air fryer would work, but they would cook through a lot faster. I would check on them about 7 minutes in to see where they are at. You don’t want them to start to brown or become crispy!
Mary Kauffman
0Thanks so much for the tip on baking the zucchini spirals. Wouldn’t have thought of that in a million years. That made our favorite pesto zucchini noodles perfect! Al dente but not limp and wet! And we get more volume of zucchini per serving which makes the meal more satisfying.
Jeanne Wise
0Thank you so much for the oven instructions for Zoodles! I made them last night to use in Shrimp Scampi and they were just a breeze to make. LOVE that you don’t have to salt and drain them before cooking. They went right from my hand-held spiralizer to the baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) and into the oven for 12-15 minutes (ended up making 2 batches) and we really like them.
Anca
0Hi Maya,
I really love your recipes and your creativity, thank you for sharing with us!
I would like to translate my top favorites and feature them on my cooking blog with a link back to the original recipe and the main image.
Only with your permission, if you agree. Thank you!
Greetings from Romania,
Anca
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Anca, Thank you so much! Currently my content only lives on my website, but you’re welcome to list the ingredients and link back to my site, just not the full recipe. Thanks for understanding!
janet hooper
0Wow, the first time I made Zoodles. They came out perfect. I just followed your easy instructions. Thank you. I love your site.
Maureen Kelly
0I am so happy that I found you! I have been on Keto for a while but you iron out all the iffy parts of recipes and all of your food is so tasty and I know these recipes will work just as you say they will. Finding out how to cook zoodles properly is a real life-saver. I’ve been trying to find a decent mashed potatoes substitute and really I haven’t, but maybe the recipes haven’t been the best. I’m still hoping to find one, as well as rice. One can only eat so much cauliflower without gagging hahaha. Thanks again for being such a kitchen life-saver.
Vicki L Blackmon
0I haven’t tried this yet but wondering if anyone had tried to dry the zucchini zoodles in a food dehydrator, if so what were the results?
Metqa
0Response to VICKI L BLACKMON: Yes, I have dried zucchini zoodles on a food dehydrator. The results were dry nests of noodles that were both sturdy and fragile at the same time. I was able to save them in a zipper pouch, at room temperature for a few weeks before I gave in and ate them(I’m sure they’d last longer) . When I went to eat them. I prepared them just like instant ramen by pouring boiling water over them and letting them rehydrate for 3-5 minutes. The texture was soft but also kinda chewy/crunchy but not in a bad way. they definitely had a “chew”. One dish I drained the noodles and had it with a meat sauce, another dish I ate them in a broth like ramen. It’s not the same as pasta but it was a nice filler for my small office meal options. I think this takes a lot of extra time and effort but my goal was not “quick meal prep” but “longterm storage options without electricity” . I know when Zucchini season comes, there will be a surplus and since freezing is not an option for zoodles, dehydration will work.
Another happy accident was when I tried to make zucchini crisps/chips. I cut long flat strips with my mandolin and dried them but they were too thick. One night when making tomato meat sauce I decided to shove a few of these long flat dry zucchini slices into my bowl. I’d intended to use them as scoops but I waited too long and they soaked up moisture from the sauce,…and made a really interesting flat noodle! Full of flavor, nice chew. I think this might be a okay spacer for lasagna!