All the Zucchini Noodles

Jackie Alpers, 2015,Television FoodNetwork, G.P.All Rights Reserved
A couple of summers ago, zucchini noodles, aka “zoodles,” became the go-to answer to the perennial seasonal quandary: What do I do with the pounds and pounds of zucchini in my garden/CSA share/farmers market haul? Now that the spiralizer has established itself as a must-have kitchen tool the question becomes: What new variations can I make so I never tire of zucchini noodles?
Never fear, we have answers. Just as one can never (never!) have too much pasta in life, the same can be true for zucchini noodles in season. Here at Food Network, everyone is getting in on the zucchini-noodle game and putting their own spin on it — and if you don’t have a spiralizer, a vegetable peeler works in a pinch. Check out these ways to maximize your zoodle game for the rest of the summer.

Salsa cruda is an uncooked tomato sauce that makes a perfect summer pasta mate. Ree Drummond applies the method to zucchini noodles, and since they only take one to two minutes to cook (unlike spaghetti), the dish couldn’t be quicker.

William DeShazer, William DeShazer
Damaris Phillips tosses spiral-cut zucchini with raw corn, tomatoes, carrots and basil for a super-seasonal salad that, like pasta salad, gets even better after marinating in vinaigrette.

Renee Comet, 2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
The carpaccio method works best with a good old-fashioned vegetable peeler rather than a spiralizer, since you want thinly sliced, wide ribbons of zucchini. Melissa d'Arabian arranges her ribbons on a platter and simply dresses them with lemon juice, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper.

Aarti Sequeira uses a mandoline to slice zucchini super-thin for this refreshing salad, but you could use a spiralizer or vegetable peeler too. It has the perfect balance of sweet (brown sugar), heat (jalapenos), crunch (peanuts) and funk (fish sauce) that characterizes the best of Southeast Asian cuisine.

Commissioned Photographer, 2015, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
Anne Burrell’s restaurant-style dish is a love letter to summer squash. She juliennes the zucchini noodles by hand, but those without professional knife skills can spiralize for a result that’s just as showstopping. The bed of zucchini “pasta” is topped with a fried squash blossom.

Marshall Troy, 2012,Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Not sure your crowd will go for zucchini noodles? Go half and half, mixing traditional spaghetti (or any type of pasta) with zucchini noodles to freshen up any pasta dish. Ellie Krieger mingles zucchini ribbons and whole-wheat fettuccine for a lighter-yet-hearty summer meal; this take on shrimp scampi from Food Network Kitchen calls for a similar approach.
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