For comfort food without the carb overload – you don’t have to look much further than zoodles with turkey bolognese.
A quick and easy dish that is comforting enough for winter, but light enough for summer. Zoodles and turkey bolognese feature often on my weekly meal plans.
If you’re new to zoodles – they are made from zucchini, sliced (or spiralized) to look like noodles. They make an excellent low-carb replacement for spaghetti and pasta.
You can purchase already-prepared zoodles, or make your own. It is surprisingly easy!
How To Make Zoodles (Zucchini Noodles)
To make zoodles, you’ll first need to choose the zucchini that makes the best zoodles. Small and medium-sized zucchini will have the best flavor. You can use large zucchini, but stop cutting as you get close to the center. The seeds can be bitter and don’t hold up as well once cooked.
Spiralizer
Spiralizers are a small but mighty piece of kitchen equipment. If you’re going to be making vegetable noodles regularly, then I strongly recommend getting one. They can be used not only for small and large zucchini, but also carrots, butternut, beetroot, and cucumber.
If you don’t have much space to space, you can even get a handheld version!
Julienne Peeler
A julienne peeler requires a bit more effort than a spiralizer – and won’t work quite as well with harder vegetables such as carrots and butternut. But it will do for zucchini noodles. You will end up with straight noodles rather than the curled ones.
Mandoline
A mandoline will give you wide, flat zucchini noodles – similar to lasagna. Some mandolines will have a julienne blade attachment that will allow you to slice noodles that more resemble spaghetti.
How To Cook Zoodles (Zucchini Noodles)
Before I get to how to cook zucchini noodles, I want to point out that they don’t actually need cooking.
Yes – you can eat them raw! Simply mix them into the sauce and they’ll get warm, but keep their crispness.
If you would like to cook them a little before eating, you can put them in a microwave for one minute, or saute in a pan for 1-2 minutes with a teaspoon of olive oil.
Zoodles with Turkey Bolognase
Ingredients
- Spiralizer
- 2 medium Zucchinis
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 lb Ground turkey
- 1 small Onion
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 14 oz Canned Tomatoes
- 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
- 2 teaspoon Tomato Paste
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 cup Fresh Basil
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
To make the zoodles:
Use a spiralizer to zoodle the zucchinis. Place on a towel and sprinkle with salt and let it sit while you are making the sauce.
To make the sauce
- Heat up the Olive oil in a medium saucepan.
- Add in Ground Turkey and cook all the way through
- Dice the onions, mince the Garlic and add to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring sauce to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- While sauce is simmering, soak out the extra water out of the zucchini noodles.
- Place the zucchini on a plate and spoon sauce over the zoodles. Garnish with Fresh Basil.
Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving Calories 321Total Fat 16gCarbohydrates 10gFiber 3gProtein 33g
Sounds awesome!