Zucchini Noodles have been all the rage for quite some time, especially in the low-carb, paleo, gluten-free and weight watchers worlds. If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet, you basically make “noodles” out of zucchini or summer squash. This is, essentially, the summertime answer to using spaghetti squash as a base for all things pasta.
There are quite a few ways you can turn zucchini into noodles. Some people use julienne peelers like this one or this one.
I’ve been using my mandoline – I have this one. I just insert the julienne blade and it’s fairly easy to do as long as the zucchini are not too narrow.
The most popular tool with which to make vegetable noodles is this Vegetable Spiralizer. I have been coveting one of these for months and couldn’t bring myself to buy yet another kitchen gadget as I barely have room for all of the stuff I already have. But after months and months of wanting one and hearing so many people rave about how amazing and easy they are to use, I finally broke down and ordered one this week.
I figured I would post a tutorial on how to make zucchini noodles with a mandoline as most people have one and aren’t going to buy a special single-use kitchen gadget just for this, plus there is just a bit more to making them on the mandoline then getting the right shape.
For this tutorial, I partnered with my friend Pamela from BOLIG Photography. We spent the day together while our kids played (READ: tore apart her house and backyard), I taught her how to make Zucchini Noodles on her mandoline and she took some gorgeous pictures of the whole process to share with you.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Average Serving Size is 2 Medium Zucchini Per Person -- 0 Points Plus
- 4 medium zucchini
- kosher salt
- mandoline with julienne blade
- fine mesh strainer
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Wash zucchini and trim ends.
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I recommend taking the time to peel each zucchini. The "noodles" look more like pasta when the skin is removed and some zucchini skin can have a bitter taste which some people do not like. With that being said, if I am in a rush, I leave the skin on so do what works for you.
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Fit your mandoline with the julienne blade and be sure to use the safety guard. Never skip using the safety guard - you can really cut yourself bad!
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Proceed to slide the zucchini over the mandoline blades lengthwise to get the longest noodles possible until you are left with a thin sliver that is pretty much impossible to slice.
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You have just made yourself some zucchini pasta!
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Transfer the zucchini noodles to a mesh colander and lightly sprinkle with kosher salt. Toss to distribute and leave colander over a mixing bowl or the sink to drain. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes, giving an occasional squeeze.
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If you leave the skin on, your liquid will be very dark green, if you peeled the zucchini, it will look more like this.Try to get as much water out of the zucchini noodles as possible before cooking.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
Some Zucchini Noodle Recipes:
2. Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Cream Sauce from Paleo Cupboard
4. Vegan Cheezy Zucchini Noodles from Earthsprout
6. Sriracha Shrimp over Zucchini Noodles from Kettler Cuisine
7. Creamy Garlic Alfredo with Arugula and Zucchini Linguine from Living Nutrition
Susan says
I just saw a rather large spiralizer on Amazon for 22.99 which looks wonderful! I’ve eaten these ‘noodles’ at CousCous Mediterranean Cafe in Salt Lake City. They are scrumptious!
EverydayMaven says
That is such a steal – I hope you bought it!!!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
Love zucchini noodles!! I love using my OXO mandoline for this. So fun!
john@kitchenriffs says
Good stuff! I have one of this big stainless French mandolines, and even with the safety guard the thing scares me. I should try one like you have. I’ve made zucchini noodles before, and they’re fun (not to mention tasty). Great way to use all the zucchini at this time of the year.
EverydayMaven says
My mom has one of those big, scary French mandolines. They are scary!
Tianna says
these look so yummy! Will need to try this once I have a mandolin finally!! Great post ♥
EverydayMaven says
Tianna – if you need to buy a new kitchen tool and think you will make veg “noodles” frequently, I highly recommend the spiralizer instead of the mandoline!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I love zucchini, this is such a great tutorial!
Jeanette says
Loving all these fun zucchini noodle recipes Alyssa. I have a spiral cutter that I used to use…need to find it and make some zucchini noodles!
Ashley - Baker by Nature says
Oh I’m totally going to be trying this!
EverydayMaven says
You are going to love it Ashley!!!
Harrison says
Love it! I never use pasta anymore, only spaghetti squash. I’m so excited to have a different kind of pasta substitute and the fact that it’s this easy is icing on the cake. Thanks for the recipe!
EverydayMaven says
Definitely Harrison! I also love spaghetti squash but it’s really hard to find them here in the warm months so I stick with zucchini and summer squash 🙂
Lianne MacGregor says
Very timely! I ate at an amazing “raw food” restaurant in Toronto on the weekend (Aura in Port Credit) and had a wonderful dish made with zucchini noodles. I asked the chef what type of gadget is used to make the noodles and he said, “A spiralizer. We sell them here.” I was so impressed with the meal I’d just eaten I broke down and bought the spiralizer on the spot. I haven’t used it yet, but your recipes have inspired me to take it out of the box. Thanks for the encouragement (and recipes).
EverydayMaven says
Too funny! I love making zucchini noodles and can’t wait for my spiralizer to get here 🙂
James Parsons says
I can’t get the subscriber page to work, can you please subscribe me to your newsletter/or what ever e-mails you send. So much appreciate it.
JJ
jjhollywood@att.net