Zucchini spaghetti

thatonegirl0619
thatonegirl0619 Posts: 29
in Food and Nutrition
I'm trying to find some awesome substitues for carbs (because I'm a definite carb junkie). Who here has made/had zucchini spaghetti? Does it taste like actual spaghetti? What about some zucchini pasta recipes?

Replies

  • cmfaris8
    cmfaris8 Posts: 39
    In my opinion, it doesn't taste like spaghetti at all. It has a distinctive taste, but it's also refreshing and light. I personally hate any type of pasta, so zucchini pasta is a nice substitute. I'm also a huge fan of spaghetti squash because there is little effort involved getting it to be spaghetti.

    For zucchini, I like to peel it lengthwise and use those thick, long slices as lasagna. Load up the layers with veggies, tomato sauce, and low fat cheese and you got yourself a hearty meal. Also, I just made turkey meatballs stuffed with corn and beans on top of spaghetti squash topped with salsa for a nice Mexican dish. I imagine you could use zucchini spaghetti the same way.
  • mp_deep
    mp_deep Posts: 85 Member
    Try green beans boiled or tomatoes for salad with balsamic vinegar to replace pasta.
    But remember, spaghetti/pasta is not carb junkie. You only need to moderate amount.
  • mp_deep
    mp_deep Posts: 85 Member
    This list help you a lot !

    http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&tl=en&u=http://www.tabella-calorie-alimenti.it/calorie_ascende.php
  • vegan4lyfe2012
    vegan4lyfe2012 Posts: 1,237 Member
    I bought a julienne peeler just for this purpose! I like to use zucchini and carrot and make a mound of it and top it with sauce - everything from traditional spaghetti sauce to avocado sauce! It definitely does NOT taste like pasta, but it's different...and better ;)
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I'm trying to find some awesome substitues for carbs (because I'm a definite carb junkie). Who here has made/had zucchini spaghetti? Does it taste like actual spaghetti? What about some zucchini pasta recipes?

    Veggies are carbs too...
  • thatonegirl0619
    thatonegirl0619 Posts: 29
    I'm trying to find some awesome substitues for carbs (because I'm a definite carb junkie). Who here has made/had zucchini spaghetti? Does it taste like actual spaghetti? What about some zucchini pasta recipes?

    Veggies are carbs too...

    My apologies for not being as knowledgeable as you are.... I guess I was meaning more of the grains, such as pastas, breads, etc. I know fruits have carbs too! Perhaps you could make me a carb list?
  • thatonegirl0619
    thatonegirl0619 Posts: 29
    In my opinion, it doesn't taste like spaghetti at all. It has a distinctive taste, but it's also refreshing and light. I personally hate any type of pasta, so zucchini pasta is a nice substitute. I'm also a huge fan of spaghetti squash because there is little effort involved getting it to be spaghetti.

    For zucchini, I like to peel it lengthwise and use those thick, long slices as lasagna. Load up the layers with veggies, tomato sauce, and low fat cheese and you got yourself a hearty meal. Also, I just made turkey meatballs stuffed with corn and beans on top of spaghetti squash topped with salsa for a nice Mexican dish. I imagine you could use zucchini spaghetti the same way.

    Thanks for the ideas!
  • Mcmilligen
    Mcmilligen Posts: 332 Member
    I love zucchini spaghetti. I'll consume an entire zucchini that way, and you get SO much more bang for your buck.
    As for tasting like spaghetti, I wouldn't say it does. But it doesn't really have a strong flavor either, it's more refreshing and a bit crispier than your average white noodles.

    My favorite things to top them with is just your basic marinara with whatever else you want (I am vegan so I load it with other raosted veggies and vegan sausage)

    And as a special treat, I make a raw Pad Thai. The sauce tastes reeeally good on the zucchini, it's actually quite complimentary. The sauce consists of tahini or peanut butter, lime juice, cilantro, cayenne, ground pepper, a few dates, a bit of water and some soy sauce or salt if you want it. I personally think it tastes good without as well, but both ways are amazing. Blend it up, pour on some zucchini, and top with crushed peanuts, sesame seeds and cilantro. YUM!

    And as a side note- I use a spirooli vegetable spiralizer for my noodles. It's one of the best gadgets I've purchased. It basically just makes the process of making veggie noodles super fast and easy.
  • lq022
    lq022 Posts: 232 Member
    I've never used zucchini as a pasta substitute .. but I have used butternut squash, and it does fill you up nicely. It's definitely not the same as a bowl of pasta, but if you top it with tomato sauce and little bit of parmesan cheese, you get the same effect (and it still tastes like all the traditional pasta toppings!)

    I buy a whole butternut squash, cut it length-wise and scoop out the middle seeds. Place on a baking dish and drizzle w/ a little oil and bake it .. probably for about 30-40 minutes, depending on how thick it is ... and then take it out, let it cool, and you can take a fork and drag it vertically across the flesh and it will come out in strands .... Then I usually put the strands in a strainer or on a paper towel because it can get watery .. and just blot it dry .. then top with your sauce & cheese!

    Also, another good substitute are Shirataki noodles .. they are sold in Stop&Shop (I'm not sure where you are from, but on the east coast, Stop&Shop is the big grocery chain) .. They are only about 50 calories for the entire package, and they are in the produce aisle .... They have a strange texture ... sort of squishy lol they are the consistency of already-cooked spaghetti.. and they do smell a little funky .. but in the directions you have to rinse them off anyways so the smell goes away after that .. the reason I recommend them is that you get alot for one portion and they are extremely low in calories ... they arent super expensive, about $2 per package .. so while it is more than pasta, its not as expensive as alot of other health food items can be
  • SarahRose35
    SarahRose35 Posts: 127 Member
    I actually just had some for lunch (:
    I boil the Zucchini 'noodles' while I have shrimp and Mushrooms in a pan cooking. Then I'll combine the two & add some pasta sauce. Yum! (:
  • thatonegirl0619
    thatonegirl0619 Posts: 29
    I actually just had some for lunch (:
    I boil the Zucchini 'noodles' while I have shrimp and Mushrooms in a pan cooking. Then I'll combine the two & add some pasta sauce. Yum! (:

    How do you get the Zucchini to be like noodles? I've only ever made Zucchini bread, so I am not real familiar with zucchini
  • Mcmilligen
    Mcmilligen Posts: 332 Member
    I bought this:

    http://www.rawguru.com/store/raw-food/spirooli-spiral-3-in-1-slicer.html

    Although, I got it from amazon. It's been extremely useful!
  • tkillion810
    tkillion810 Posts: 591 Member
    I have a spiralizer, but I have read that others have used a julienne peeler to make the noodles. I like to leave the "noodles" raw, but I will mix up a peanut sauce and saute' some of my favorite veggies to mix with the noodles - sort of like a stir fry. It doesn't replace the taste of spaghetti, but I think it's nice and refreshing.

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