Tip #6: Cook Zoodles Without a Lid
It’s time to cook the zucchini noodles after giving them a half-hour to rest. Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add your prepared zoodles to the skillet along with some finely chopped garlic.
Don’t add any oil, and don’t put a lid on the skillet. Cook the zoodles for 8-10 minutes, turning gently.
You shouldn’t see any (or at least very little) water. If you do, just drain it off and continue cooking. Just don’t overlook the zoodles. They should still be pretty firm. You don’t want mushy noodles.
Although zucchini naturally contains a lot of water, you can avoid having watery dishes by following these tips to make zucchini noodles, also known as zoodles.
A spiralizer is an essential kitchen tool for making zoodles, even though it won’t help your zucchini noodles become less watery.
I really enjoy using my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer with the spiralizer attachment! Here are some other options to think about:
After spiralizing the zucchini, wrap the zoodles in a kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.
After the zoodles have released some of their moisture, cover a plate or bowl with a few layers of clean paper towels. Then add the zoodles to the paper towel lined dish. You’ll also want to cover the zoodles with paper towels. But, first, follow tip #4.
Once your zucchini noodles are spiralized, squeeze out some of the moisture, and transfer them to a bowl lined with paper towels, you should season the noodles with salt.
Then toss the noodles slightly and sprinkle on more salt. Lay a layer or two of paper towels over the zoodles.
Give the zucchini noodles 30 minutes to rest in the bowl covered with paper towels. After that, you’ll be prepared to cook your zoodles. You’ll be astounded at how much more moisture the salt helps to extract from the noodles!
It’s time to cook the zucchini noodles after giving them a half-hour to rest. Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add your prepared zoodles to the skillet along with some finely chopped garlic.
Don’t add any oil, and don’t put a lid on the skillet. Cook the zoodles for 8-10 minutes, turning gently.
You shouldn’t see any (or at least very little) water. If you do, just drain it off and continue cooking. Just don’t overlook the zoodles. They should still be pretty firm. You don’t want mushy noodles.
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Tip #2: Squeeze the Zoodles
After spiralizing the zucchini, wrap the zoodles in a kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.
Here’s a brief guide on making these delicious noodles. Serve them with your favorite sauce, such as a straightforward Marinara with Meat Sauce or a dairy-free Pesto Alfredo.
Serve the noodles under this Italian Meat Sauce from page 172 of my new cookbook Against All Grain
Whatever you want to call them, zucchini noodles are essentially the modern equivalent of spaghetti squash. Or at least they are in the summer, when it’s easier to find spaghetti squash and more common for this kind of squash. Since I bought this $35 World Cuisine spiral slicer on Amazon, I’ve been using zucchini “pasta” more and more because I prefer the flavor to spaghetti squash. It produces noodles that are endless and can be consumed in a Lady and the Tramp-style manner.
Oddly enough, in this household, we refer to cucumbers as “cukes” and zucchini as “zukes.” Because the original is just too long to say right?.
I’ve discovered that I like the noodles to become softer and more starchy-textured by peeling and cooking them. But, zucchini is one of those veggies that I find unappealing when raw, so it really comes down to personal preference. Furthermore, when the skin is peeled, these noodles resemble actual noodles much more, even though the skin does contain many essential nutrients.
