Perfect Zucchini Noodles Recipe

One might argue that zucchini is the most versatile vegetable in the plant kingdom. From sauteing and grilling to baking and spiralizing, zucchini can be prepared in various ways to suit different tastes and cooking techniques. Its mild and delicate flavor makes it an ideal canvas for taking on the flavors of the ingredients you're using while cooking. 

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for perfect zucchini noodles and says, "Zucchini is incredibly nutritious. It's low in calories and high in fiber, Vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants. If you're looking for an alternative to traditional pasta, zucchini can magically turn into the noodles of your dreams." 

Zucchini noodles or zoodles can be soggy if you don't prepare them properly, but Hahn has a few tricks up her sleeve. She says, "Zucchini does contain a lot of water so there are some key things to know when working with it to avoid watery pasta." So, grab your spiralizer, and let's dive into some noodle making!

To make this recipe you'll obviously need some zucchini. You might assume the bigger the better, but that's not the case when creating zoodles. Smaller zucchinis have smaller seeds and will be less watery, so they're a better choice for these zucchini noodles. 

"When you are choosing zucchini at the store, go for ones that are on the small to medium size versus large. If you have a vegetable garden and grow zucchini, they can grow to be very large, so you'll want to harvest them early," Hahn explains. 

In this method, you'll be using a spiralizer — not only does it make this job simple and quick, but it also cores the zucchini as you spiralize. If you're wondering how many zucchinis to buy to feed your guests, assume you'll need 2 small to medium zucchini per person. You'll also need some olive oil and salt, both of which you probably have in your pantry.

To start, go ahead and cut off the thick stem from each zucchini. Then before you start spiralizing take a sharp knife and make a vertical cut halfway into each zucchini. As the zucchini spins around in the spiralizer this will create shorter noodles instead of one very long strand of noodles which can be hard to eat without cutting. "I learned this trick years ago and it can be used on anything that you spiralize," Hahn shares.

So now that your zucchini is prepped and ready to go, pull out your spiralizer and insert the spaghetti blade which will produce a round noodle. Insert the cut end into the side with the blade and the other end into the pronged side. You'll want to push tightly on both ends to secure the zucchini in place. If it's not in there tight, as soon as you start rotating the handle, the zucchini can fall out of place. Secure the suction clamp down on your countertop and begin rotating the handle. As the noodles come out of the spiralizer put them in a colander sitting over a bowl or in the sink. When all the zucchinis have been spiralized, sprinkle on ½ teaspoon of salt and distribute the salt with your hands to all of the noodles. Let this sit for about 10 minutes.

You only need to cook the noodles for a flash because you want them to stay firm. Add the oil to a frying pan and bring the heat to medium. Add the noodles and the remaining salt and cook for 2 minutes. "Stir while the noodles are in the pan and don't lose track of time — two minutes is all you need here," Hahn explains.

As soon as the cooking time is done, put the noodles back into the colander over a bowl. Using a wooden spoon, press down on the noodles to press out the water, like how you would remove the water from frozen spinach. "You'll be surprised at how much water is in the bowl after you press them against the colander holes," Hahn shares. 

Now take a paper towel or a tea towel and pat them dry. The noodles are ready to go in your serving bowl and you can add your heated sauce of choice. A thick sauce works best with zucchini noodles. 

Because the noodles will continue to release water as they sit, they are best made and eaten right away. Now that you know the best way to spiralize zucchini, enjoy zoodling all summer long!