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
-
Wash zucchini and trim ends.
-
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.
-
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!
-
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.
-
You have just made yourself some zucchini pasta!
-
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.
-
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
Ali @ Inspiralized says
I LOVE this post and I love that you’re giving zucchini noodles the spotlight! I wish you had known about my blog – I started it about 2ish months ago and it’s dedicated to the spiralizer and making dishes like zucchini pasta! Check it out!!! Love your blog, your creativity and your writing!
EverydayMaven says
Hi Ali! I just checked out your site – it’s gorgeous! What a cool concept – you know I love it 🙂
Susan says
I’ve over salted a zucchini recipe when working the ‘water’ out of the veggie. Just use a light hand (salt less than you think you need to) when doing it & you’ll find it works wonders.
EverydayMaven says
I’ve done it myself with Eggplant too many times to count! I just updated the recipe to say, “…lightly salt” thanks ladies!
Lianne MacGregor says
I bought a spiralizer over the summer and I’ve used it a lot already. I’m not a kitchen gadget person, but this is one gadget that’s worth the space it takes up in my cupboard (when it’s not being used, that is). With regard to getting the excess moisture out of the zucchini noodles – any thoughts on using a salad spinner? I might give this a try tonight.
EverydayMaven says
I know what you mean – I love it so much! I think soaking with a bit of salt and then squeezing out is probably the best way as you want the moisture to release from inside the cell wall of the vegetable itself and the salad spinner removes excess moisture from the exterior or surface of a vegetable.
Richinda says
Ok. Thanks! I did that and they were so salty we couldnt eat them. I had to rinse them and cook them again. What could I have done wrong?
EverydayMaven says
That sucks! It sounds like you probably put way too much salt on the “noodles” before cooking. Just a couple sprinkles is usually enough to draw out the moisture!
Richinda says
Sorry, but I am a little confused. Do you cook the noodles after they drain….just like you would regular pasta? Feeling kinda silly here…. 🙂
EverydayMaven says
Hi Richinda,
Yes, you do! I like to saute them in a frying pan with a touch of olive oil or butter for about 4 to 5 min.
Lee says
This is a great and very timely posting – I just stumbled across the idea of zucchini pasta by accident. I love pasta but my girlfriend is not so keen on it, so this looks like a great compromise. I’m also reluctant to introduce another kitchen gadget (especially one with such limited uses) but your remarks + the avalanche of glowing reviews on Amazon + a video on YouTube force me to reconsider. Nobody else (incl. Food52 cooks) suggests salting/draining the zuke first – thanks for that tip. Curious now if you think purchasing the spiralizer was the right move? Thanks again for the post and recipes. Good job.
EverydayMaven says
Hi Lee,
I LOVE the spiralizer – it is 100% worth every penny if you are going to be making vegetable “noodles”. Have a great weekend 🙂
Amanda@ChewTown says
I’ve often thought I’d like to try making zucchini noodles/pasta. It is such a great alternative for gluten free friends.
EverydayMaven says
Absolutely or when you just want to get more veggies in 🙂
Dan says
This is awesome!