Zucchini 'Noodles'
A tasty and fairly simple way for people on a gluten-free or wheat-free diet to enjoy a noodle dish. I usually use 4 zucchini and 2 summer squash for a colorful mix.
A tasty and fairly simple way for people on a gluten-free or wheat-free diet to enjoy a noodle dish. I usually use 4 zucchini and 2 summer squash for a colorful mix.
- Carbohydrate 10.0926533336881 g
- Cholesterol 2.75000000350403 mg
- Fat 9.93722418507715 g
- Fiber 3.2428334034284 g
- Protein 4.85810000172451 g
- Saturated Fat 2.41578792093855 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (312g)
- Sodium 1339.65816692987 mg
- Sugar 6.8498199302597 g
- Trans Fat 0.591597917509168 g
- Calories 137 calories
Step-by-step
- Cut zucchini into thin, noodle-like strips (a mandoline works well for this). Toss with the 2 teaspoons salt, and place in a colander to drain for 30 minutes.
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Add zucchini; cook for one minute. Drain; rinse immediately with cold water to stop cooking.
- Heat margarine in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add zucchini and garlic; cook and stir until just tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Tender ribbons of squash yield a crisp-tender bite that coats the tongue with savory fat and nutty parmesan crystals. Transforming high-moisture vegetables into durable noodle substitutes requires deliberate management of internal water pressure through osmosis. Raw zucchini consists of approximately ninety-five percent water locked inside rigid cellular walls, meaning thermal or mechanical processing immediately releases this fluid if not controlled. Salting the cut strips for precisely thirty minutes forces excess cellular water out through the semi-permeable membranes via osmotic pressure, preventing a watery puddle in the skillet later. Although applying heat briefly in boiling water sets the pectin structure and preserves a vibrant green hue, failing to plunge the strands into ice water immediately will result in residual carryover cooking that turns the vegetables mushy.
Managing Leftovers and Reheating Physics
Cooked vegetable noodles present unique structural challenges upon refrigeration because plant tissues degrade differently than wheat-based pasta when subjected to thermal cycles. Storing leftovers in an airtight glass container lined with a paper towel helps absorb ambient condensation within a two-day window, mitigating the risk of soggy degradation. Microwaving leftover vegetable strands directly often causes cell walls to burst and release trapped moisture all at once, which instantly drowns the remaining parmesan and margarine emulsion. Reheat these strands instead by tossing them into a preheated dry skillet over medium-high heat for sixty to ninety seconds, allowing excess surface water to evaporate rapidly before the squash loses its remaining structural integrity.
- If the noodles release excessive liquid during the final skillet toss, increase the heat to high and omit the lid to encourage rapid evaporation.
- Substitute butter for margarine at a one-to-one ratio if preferred, noting that butter solids will brown faster due to milk protein content.
- Ensure the garlic is added during the final minute of skillet cooking to prevent bitter burnt flavor compounds from developing.
