The Ultimate Method for Cooking Zoodles

Zucchini, yellow squash, Julianne peeler, noodles, produce, farm to table, garden vegetables, kitchen

We adore pasta. Who doesn't? However, as someone with carb intolerance and a compromised pancreas, it often seems like pasta and Pedro just don't get along. Needless to say, we make a conscious effort to minimize our carb intake, and we're not alone. As any Keto post will attest, people everywhere are eschewing simple carbs these days for various reasons. This is a significant factor in why many home cooks have embraced zucchini (or yellow squash or butternut squash) noodles.

If your experience mirrors mine, there's a good chance you've been deterred by wet, mushy noodles almost as swiftly as your initial excitement to prepare your first zoodle dish. In fact, I declared a hiatus from these low-carb noodle alternatives for at least a year. However, thanks to a combination of my subscription produce box and my in-laws' garden, I consistently found myself with zucchini, yellow squash, and butternut squash on a weekly basis. It was during this time that I felt compelled to delve into research and conduct some testing to master the ever-so-promising zoodle.

Zoodles don’t have to be limited to zucchini.

Zooooodles. It's a catchy term tailor-made for marketing packaged zucchini noodles at Whole Foods, but there's no need to restrict your low-carb noodle alternatives to just zucchini. In fact, I personally favor creating a medley using zucchini, yellow squash, and the exceptionally flavorful butternut squash each time. If you have them on hand, you can even add in some sweet potatoes!

Use the right tool.

Have you been a victim to the “As Seen on TV” marketing of the veggetti or some other manual spiralizer? Did you experience cramps, carpal tunnel syndrome, or various cuts? You may be entitled to compensation! Just kidding, I have no idea if you can get compensated for your troubles but you should because I suspect the only spiralizer worth utilizing is an electronic one like this attachment for the Kitchenaid Stand Mixer.

Don’t want to dish out the cash for a stand mixer or an attachment? No problem! The ultimate and most accessible tool for home cooks trying to perfect the zoodle is a julienne Y-peeler with a good grip.

Check out the OXO Good Grips Julienne Y-Peeler on Amazon, $7.99

The secret is dehydration.

The first key to living your best zoodle life is understanding that zucchini is 94% water and this is the main reason why they are susceptible to becoming mushy and gross. Two of my favorite ways of drawing out heat from produce include salt and dry heat.

Try this:

Preheat your oven to 225°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place the zoodles on top of the paper towels. (Don’t worry, it takes upwards of 400°F for paper to burn)
Sprinkle the zoodles with a generous amount of salt. Roughly one teaspoon per squash. Toss to coat evenly and then placed them in the oven for 30-40 minutes tasting for your desired texture.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and gently press them with paper towels or clean towel to release any residual moisture.