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Tired of soggy zucchini noodles? You know, the ones that leave a pool of sour, green liquid at the bottom of the bowl! Well, there’s a way to avoid that and make perfect zucchini noodles every single time!
The best news? It could not be simpler!!!
Strangely enough, most of the recipes I’ve seen involving zucchini noodles never call for this step. Why? I have no idea!
I’ve seen recipes that involve steaming the zucchini noodles, pan-frying them, microwaving them, and just about everything in between. All of these things can be done but they WILL NOT get rid of the excess liquid you see floating under your bowl of ragu!
How to make Perfect Zucchini Noodles
in 3 Easy Steps:
1. Spiralize Zucchini:
I know, this is an obvious step but have you ever considered the integrity of your zoodle? You want long, luxurious strands of ‘pasta’ that dance between your mouth and plate. I’m sorry to say that using a dollar store variety spiralizer just won’t cut it!
I am a big fan of the OXO Spiralizer. It’s sturdy, easy to use, comes with three blade attachments and is fairly compact.
2. Salt Your Zucchini Noodles
Yes, you read that correctly! You MUST salt your zoodles. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the secret!
Mind blow, right?
It’s really that simple, I promise. All you have to do is season your zoodles with a pinch of salt (kosher or other) and massage all the strands to coat.
Then place the zoodles in a collander set over a bowl and wait. In just a few minutes, liquid will start to drain from the zoodles into the bowl. After about 30 minutes, almost all the liquid will have drained.
If necessary, or if working with a large batch of zucchini noodles, you can help the process of draining the liquid along by gently squeezing the zoodles. You’ll notice a tremendous amount of liquid releasing.
3. Stop Cooking Zucchini Noodles
This is probably the most difficult concept for people to grasp.
Zucchini noodles do not need to be ‘cooked’. Instead, try warming them up by tossing them in whatever sauce you’ll be serving them with.
For example, if making my Short Rib Ragu, all you need to do is add the drained zoodles to a pan with the sauce and toss to coat. The heat from the sauce will be enough to warm the zoodles without killing the ‘al dente’ texture.
You’ll end up with a perfect, toothsome bite of zucchini noodles that will surprise even the most serious skeptic!
I hope these simple steps help you achieve zoodle greatness because there’s nothing worse than a soggy bowl of ‘zpaghetti’!
Am I right?
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22 replies on “How to Make Perfect Zucchini Noodles”
[…] Serve over Cauliflower Polenta or Zucchini Noodles. […]
That’s the technique I use to get the bitterness out of eggplant! Never thought about doing it to zoodles before. Genius!! I will try this next time! Thank you!
Precisely! Let me know how it goes!
3.5
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Thanks for the tips. I have also recently discovered not cooking zoodles. If I am making chicken zoodle soup, I simply place the raw zoodles in the bottom of each serving bowl and pour stock/broth over the top. By the time soup is cool enough to eat, the zoodles are still firm.
Exactly! Great minds think alike!
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Great tips! Will definitely try these out. So far I’ve just been using a very small, palm sized spiralizer, which works incredibly well, but it’s not great for feeding a crowd, so maybe I’ll check out that OXO one. What would you recommend for doing a winter squash or carrot noodle? Toss it in the sauce and let it simmer until it’s just done? Or what are your thoughts? Thanks!
Yes, I think we all start with that handheld gadget! Only a matter of time before we outgrow it! For denser veggies you will have to cook them. For example, a sweet potato noodle can be tossed in some avocado oil, salt and pepper and roasted on a baking sheet for 10-15 minutes.
Thanks for the tips! I used my salad spinner to get even more liquid out of my noodles.
Excellent idea!
[…] Pesto tastes amazing on just about everything. Try tossing it with big handfuls of my Perfect Zoodles, spooning it over some Emergency Roast Chicken, or some Crispy Fried Eggs, or even using it as a […]
Awesome! So how would you go about having this with the pesto if you don’t recommend cooking the zoodles?
Raw and as is. No need to heat in this case.
[…] freeze and use throughout the winter months. It goes great on just about everything, including my Perfect Zoodles, Emergency Roast Chicken, and Crispy Fried […]
[…] If you don’t have any luck, you could simply substitute dried red chili flakes. It will still be delicious! Especially alongside some of these roasted potatoes or overtop these perfect zucchini noodles. […]
[…] love to serve Short Rib Ragu over my Perfect Zucchini Noodles. If you’re not a fan of zucchini noodles or haven’t had luck making them, you MUST […]
If you were to meal prep with these noodles for lunch at work, would you recommend to salt them during meal prep, or to just bring salt, and salt them ~30min before you plan to have lunch?
I would salt ahead of time if it’s only one day in advance. The more moisture you can draw out the better and it makes for an easier lunch at work situation.
Do you rinse them after they have drained?
Nope! That would just reintroduce more moisture back into the vegetable.