Italian Zucchini Noodles, Garlic, Tomato, Parm KETO | Best Recipe Box (2024)

FAQs

How do you make non soggy zucchini noodles? ›

To avoid soggy and limp noodles, I recommend cooking for only 3-5 minutes (5 if you're cooking more than 1-2 spiralized zucchinis) and tossing frequently. You want a slightly al dente noodle.

Compare two cups of pasta weighing in at 480 calories, 90 grams of carbs, and two grams of fiber with two cups of zucchini zoodles at 66 calories, twelve grams of carbs, and four grams of fiber. Seems like a no-brainer, right? It is if you're using the right ingredients and the right sauce.

A look into essential Vitamins & Minerals, shows that Zucchini Pasta outdoes Spaghetti Squash on every one, except for Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium and Selenium. Information found from SELF's Nutrition Data calculator.

Zucchini is low in fat, sugar, and calories, and high in vitamin C and fiber, making it a great substitute for traditional pasta noodles. Fiber helps to regulate bowels and maintain good digestive health, and vitamin C acts as an antioxidant to protect cells.

Don't pre-salt your zucchini noodles.

First of all, one of the benefits of spiralizing is that it's SO quick (just spiralize, cook, and enjoy pasta in under 5 minutes!).

Zucchini noodles can be made into different shapes, much like regular pasta. The most common way to make zoodles is to run the zucchini through a spiralizer, which makes a spaghetti-sized zoodle.

Coming in at only 19 calories per cup, zucchini also packs a nutritious punch. The bright green summer squash contains potassium, vitamin C, folate, vitamin A, and iron, no cholesterol and almost zero fat. Zucchini is also a super low-carb fruit, containing only 4 grams of carbs per cup when eaten raw.

"Vegetable-based pastas, such as zucchini noodles or hearts of palm noodles, tend to be lowest in carbs and calories," says Sassos. "They are also packed with nutrient-dense vitamins and minerals and are naturally gluten-free. Shirataki noodles and kelp noodles are also quite low in carbs and calories."

A note on serving size. We recommend spiralizing just about 1 pound of zucchini per serving (for a large, lunch or dinner-sized meal) – that equates to about two medium sized zucchinis or 2 cups, cooked.

Our true winner is the famously low-carb spaghetti squash, with has just under 8 net carbohydrates per cup. In summary, you shouldn't make any winter squash a regular occurance on your keto-menu, but every so often it's an ingredient you can enjoy while still staying on track.

How do you know if zucchini noodles have gone bad? ›

Zucchini will feel mushy, the skin will be wrinkled, brown or damaged spots may appear on the outside. If you cut into the zucchini the flesh will be stringy and seeds will be much larger than average.

Zoodles or zucchini noodles have become a popular pasta substitute for those looking to reduce carbohydrates or calories, but the real benefit is the fun way to increase vegetables in your diet.

My Verdict – This is the best (and really only) way to store zoodles. They'll last about 4-5 days in the fridge. Freezer – Unfortunately my method for freezing zoodles didn't work, but I've read about other freezing methods that do work great, which would be worth trying yourself!

Don't overcook your zoodles

Zucchini noodles benefit from raw or quick-cooking preparations. Cooking them longer won't make them any crunchier — it'll just do the opposite. "They're not supposed to be mushy, but zucchini is also never going to be al dente like pasta," explained Gellman.

The best way to cook frozen zucchini noodles is to sauté them in a hot skillet with some olive oil or butter. This method helps to remove the excess moisture and prevent them from becoming soggy.