Zucchini Zoodles

The single greatest invention on Earth may be the spiralizer. I bought one on Amazon with a bit of Christmas money and since its arrival, it has become my absolute favorite kitchen items.

I had Finn spiralize 3 Zucchinis using a 2mm blade to make very thin zoodles.  A 2mm blade will create zoodles the same width as Angel Hair pasta.

We decided to Make Zucchini Zoodles with Pesto and Marinara Sauce and for the record, Finn did not eat any of this but the fact that he's touching zucchini is an amazing start.  That's the magic of a spiralizer.  

  Ingredients:

• 3 Zucchini Spiralized with a 2mm blade
• Approx. 12 oz of you Favorite Jar of Marinara Sauce (they are sold in 24 oz jars typically)
• Approx. 4 oz Pesto Sauce (can use a small jar of pesto if you don't have the items on hand.  Both Barilla and Classico sell a yummy 8oz Jar)
  • 2 c Basil 
  • 1/2 c grated Romano or Parmesan Reggiano Cheese (it's about 2oz)
  • 1/2 c Olive Oil
  • 1/3 c Pine Nuts
  • 3 Cloves Garlic 
  • S & P to taste
  • Directions: Throw into a food processor and blend to desired consistency 
• Pine Nuts to Top (optional)
• Parmesan Reggiano Cheese to Top (optional)

Directions:

• Heat a few tablespoons of Olive Oil in a sauté pan 
• Add your Zoodles to the hot pan and cook for 10 mins, stirring often ... you will be amazed how much this will cook down.  Note: See the below tips for cooking with Zucchini.
• Add your Pesto Sauce and cook for a few moments, once bubbling, add your Marinara Sauce 
• Heat through, stirring often
• Top with your optional ingredients, (Pine Nuts for Texture, Additional Cheese if you're trying to bribe a child to try it, etc).

From start to Finish - this meal takes about 30 mins and is incredibly easy and satisfying.  Not to mention you get to use the Spiralizer which makes any meal fairly awesome.
A few Suggestions:

• Since Zucchini contains soooooo much water - you should press as much out ahead of time as you possibly can.  Otherwise when it hits that hot pan, it will release a tremendous amount of water which will water your flavors down.  
• Even with pressing the water out, often times, I will take my Zucchini once it has been cooked for 10 mins and I will drain any water in my pan before adding my sauces. You've gone through the effort to make an great dinner, don't dilute your flavors!
• This meal saves incredibly well - the batch I made tonight was just meal prep for the work week.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I love to eat it and Finn loves to spiralize it!