Who doesn’t love noodles? Whether it be in the form of Italian pasta, Vietname pho, lo mein, Pad Thai, and alike, we love the consistency and taste. Plus we can pretend we are recreating the famous “pasta kiss” scene from Lady And The Tramp. But what if we could accentuate our love of noodles by making it made from veggies? That is the point behind our Paleo Zoodles recipe.
Why do we need Paleo zoodles? Because a large majority of noodles are made from wheat flour. And we know that gluten, a protein found in wheat and flour, may be highly problematic to your health. While few Americans have the autoimmune Celiac Disease, which is triggered by the ingestion of gluten, many Americans have gluten sensitivity. So when you eat crackers, cookies, muffins, bread, pasta and alike, it may trigger deleterious symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain, joint pain, loose stool, and issues with your gut microbiome. (Click HERE to see why the microbiome is so important. Or Check out the Holistic Health News episode on it.)
So we want to limit our flour intake as much as possible, if not completely eliminate it like in a Paleo lifestyle. One way to do this is by switching out conventional foods for veggie replacements. We have numerous recipes where we switch out bread for sweet potatoes. We have even more recipes where we eliminate wheat flour for a non-flour alternative. (Click HERE to see our Review of non-Wheat Flour Alternatives to see if almond or coconut flour is the best.)
Paleo Zoodles
If any of you have ever eaten noodles made from zucchini, you know they don’t taste like pasta or noodles made from semolina or wheat noodles. Let’s be honest. But the good news about these Paleo zoodles is that with proper flavoring it can taste quite good. The consistency is not the same as conventional noodles but if cooked well you can’t really tell the difference.
Zucchini is a nutrient-dense vegetable loaded with vitamins and minerals, but more importantly fiber and plant nutrition. Whereas wheat flour, semolina, in which most pasta are made lack any nutrients and fiber, zucchini is different.
Now how you fix up your Paleo zoodles is up to you. We threw in the best vegetable oil on the planet in which to cook. Avocado Oil! Though it is pricier than olive oil, it stands up better over high temperatures so it is worth the investment. Avoid all canola, corn, and sunflower oils if you can.
For protein, we threw in mozzarella balls (so yes this recipe is not necessarily dairy free but you can opt not to put them in) and free range chicken. Season it up properly and this Paleo zoodles recipes kicks some ass! Enjoy!
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Spiralize the zucchini. Place the zoodles in a colander in the sink. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for a while. On a small skillet on low heat, combine 2 tablespoons of the avocado oil with the garlic, ginger, and scallions. Heat until sizzling and sauté for a minute or so. Afterwards, put these ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add vinegar, lime juice, and chia seeds and blend until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Use remaining 2 tablespoons of avocado oil in a large skillet and cook over medium heat. Add the zoodles and cook for near 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add the blended sauce, and toss until warmed and well-combined. (If using chicken, add it and toss until well-combined as well.) Serve on four separate bowls. Add mozzarella balls. Garnish with leftover scallions and other seasoning you like. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Instructions