Skip The Pasta, But Not The Noodles!

Like I mentioned yesterday, it’s National Nutrition Month where everyone is encouraged to Eat Right With Color! On top of that, many folks are trying to avoid simple carbs like those found in pastas and while this may not be quite the same I think I’ve found a pretty viable substitute for you - vege noodles!

Just take your vege peeler to some of your favorite veges and they can be used in a similar fashion to linguine or other pastas. Last night I made a side dish using a red garnet sweet potato, a parsnip and a zucchini. Earlier this week I used carrots and zucchini. I think root vegetables and summer squash are about your best bets here, egg plant too maybe. And the center part that you don’t use for noodles, just chop them up for use in soups or salads.

To cook them, I steamed them for about two minutes to soften them up then I typically finish them up in a hot skillet with a touch of olive oil and crushed or chopped garlic, often times along with other veges like mushrooms or spinach or kale. It only takes another couple minutes and they’re ready to hit the plate! Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese on top for that finishing touch.

Last night they were a side dish to some catfish, so I used about a tablespoon of fish sauce when I added the vege noodles (the shrooms had been cooking for a couple minutes first).

Earlier this week I did something similar but added the veges noodles to some other veges that I had stir-fried with a bit of sweet pepper sauce. I suppose I could have been more precise in making the noodles thinner and made them seem more like a lo mein noodle, but they worked just fine. This really does give a real similar mouth-feel that noodles do… but I think they’re much more flavorful.

I think next I want to try doing a lighter chicken alfredo type dish using these vege noodles… if you have any other ideas for how to use these instead of regular pasta let everyone know in the comments.

Related Posts:

• A Colorful Alternative to Pasta
• Taste the Rainbow
• Happy Registered Dietitians Day
• About Fats Pt 1: Saturated Fats
• Cranberry Quinoa Salad