Alex Guarnaschelli Prevents Soggy Zucchini Noodles With A Foolproof Cooking Method

Zoodles are not noodles, but they are a healthy alternative to carb-rich pasta that you can eat on repeat; season or sauce them up and they taste delicious. The only challenge with these ribbons of zucchini is properly cooking them. It doesn't take long for zucchini noodles to turn soggy, squishy-squashy, and downright unappetizing. But Alex Guarnaschelli has a foolproof cooking method that will ensure these spiral veggies don't lose their shape and texture. In a Facebook post, the Iron Chef and "The Kitchen" co-host noted the key is all about getting rid of the moisture and not adding any in the process.

Guarnaschelli wrote, "Avoid boiling or overcooking 'Zoodles' (aka vegetable/zucchini noodles). I've overcooked some myself: they turned mushy in about 15 seconds. I like to extract water quickly over HOT, high heat to get pure flavor with some vaguely 'al dente" texture.'" That firm texture is important because once the rigidity is gone, you can't fix it. The chef went on to concede, "Ok it's not a giant bowl of linguine with butter but it's pretty tasty!" Truth. Still, because zucchini is 94% water, it can be challenging to prepare if you don't prep it with one simple ingredient.

As the zoodles cook, Guarnaschelli sprinkles them with salt and encourages followers to take note of the steam rising from the pan. She explains that the moisture is escaping but the zucchini is not falling apart or burning. The salt is going to draw out that water content. You can salt your zoodles before they even hit that hot frying pan. Let them sit for five to 10 minutes and the water will start to drain. You can file this tip under Guarnaschelli's best cooking tips for home cooks because it will fundamentally change how you cook your zucchini noodles. 

How long should you cook zucchini noodles so they don't get soggy? The exact amount of time depends on how much you are cooking and how sizzling hot your pan is; however, the cooking time is short and generally ranges somewhere between 30 seconds to 1 minute. So, don't walk away and multi-task or your zoodles and you will end up with a sad result. Once they've cooked, sauce them up with a tomato or pesto sauce, add a little pat of butter, chop up your favorite protein, or follow Guarnaschelli's culinary playbook and add some chopped-up tomatoes.