4. How to Boil Zucchini Noodles
When I initially started making zucchini noodles, this was my go-to technique. Boiling a pot of water, adding your zucchini noodles, and cooking for one minute is a very easy process. It’s similar to cooking frozen veggies on the stovetop. After the noodles are cooked, drain them in a colander, then serve. Before serving, blot them with a paper towel if you want them extremely dry.
1. With a Spiralizer
The Paderno World Cuisine Spiralizer is far and away my favorite tool. It creates curls of your favorite vegetables, literally in seconds. It’s the fastest tool of the bunch and requires the least amount of strength or effort (with suction cup feet to keep it in place). You simply cut off the ends of a zucchini, place it next to the blade and spin. In less than 8 seconds you’ll have spiral sliced the entire zucchini.
Although I am aware that these reviews are for zucchini noodles, consider slicing up other veggies as well. Carrots, sweet potato, apples, pears…the list is endless!.
With this spiralizer’s simple blade replacement system, you can make your favorite carrot pasta, curly sweet potato fries, or apple chips. Yes, it’s bigger than some of the other options, but considering how I often I use it the pros far outweigh the cons – so it’s still my #1 favorite.
PROS: Lightweight, strong, quick, affordable, durable, and provides a variety of blades and slicing options
CONS: will require more storage space than other options.
3. With a Mandoline
I actually hummed and hawed about making the mandoline #2 on my list (because I love it that much) – but the julienne peeler won for size. I’ve had this mandoline for several years and it gets used a ton in my kitchen.
The mandoline creates julienne noodles that are slightly thicker than a peeler, but does it in half the time. The blades are SUPER sharp on a mandoline, so please please always use the plastic holder or a cut-resistant glove. I’ve sliced a massive divot out of my thumb before – and it’s not fun.
The best flat zucchini pasta can be made with a mandoline, which also lets you adjust the thickness. It has multiple blade options, just like the Paderno World Cuisine Spiralizer, so you can create perfectly uniform noodles, slices, or rounds. It also effortlessly chops through any vegetable that is “harder to slice.” Alright, maybe this is actually a tie for #2.
PROS: Consistent size and width of output, and easy and quick slicing because of the sharp blade
CONS: medium storage capacity and a sharp blade (use caution when handling your fingers).
