Ever since I received the amazing spiralizer for my birthday last month, I’ve gone just a wee bit bonkers over it. So much so that I decided to dedicate each Monday in April to sharing a few of my family’s favorite recipe makeovers using our newfound favorite – ZOODLES! So I’m calling this series the Oodles of Zoodles Spiralizing Series.
Making zoodles (zucchini noodles) literally takes just seconds.All you need is a spiralizer and you’re ready to not only make zucchini noodles, but so many other great veggie noodles as well. Be sure to check out my How To Spiralize Photo Tutorial for easy step-by-step instructions that will have you spiralizing in no time!
How to Spiralize in 3 Easy Steps!
If you’re just now joining us for the Oodles of Zoodles Series … it started off with “How to Spiralize in 3 Easy Steps” (a helpful photo tutorial), along with several delicious recipes (see listing below).
To keep the zoodle inspiration flowing, I’m sharing an incredibly easy and flavorful caprese dish that’s a delicious remake of my popular Caprese Pasta. By replacing the pasta with zoodles, your family will reap all the benefits of more nutritious veggies, while still having some noodle zoodle slurping fun!
Most of the time, you can simply add your veggie noodles right to the sauce you’ve created, but since this caprese dish is not heated, a simple 2-3 minute steaming is all that’s needed to create a nice al dente zoodle perfect for this beautiful and nutritious springtime meal.
Looking for the other recipes shared as part of the four-part spiralizer series? Here they are for easy reference:
• Part One: Meet Ali from Inspiralized and try her delicious Turkey Bolognese recipe
• Part Two: Fresh Caprese with Zoodles (recipe below)
• Part Three: Veggie Sauté with Zoodle Ribbons
• Part Four: Veggie Stir Fry
• BONUS! Learn to spiralize with my fun photo tutorial: How to Spiralizer in 3 Easy Steps!
Okay, so enough about my noodle-turned-zoodle obsession, on to this wonderfully healthy recipe … Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4-5 medium to large organic zucchini
- 16 oz. of organic sweet grape, cherry or mixed medley tomatoes
- 8 oz. fresh Italian whole milk mozzarella balls packed in water
- 3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar (Bariani brand is our favorite!)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3-4 heaping tbsp of fresh basil, minced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Using a spiralizer with the small-hole blade attachment, make zucchini noodles; set aside. For step-by-step instructions on how to make zoodles, be sure to check out my How to Spiralize in 3 Easy Steps Photo Tutorial.)
- Rinse tomatoes, pat dry and cut into halves.
- Drain water from mozzarella balls and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Mince fresh basil and garlic.
- Then, place all of the ingredients, except the zucchini noodles, into a large mixing bowl and combine well.
- Cover the bowl and allow the caprese to marinate for at least one hour (see note below).
- When ready to serve, steam the zucchini noodles about 2-3 minutes until desired texture is reached. (Do not overcook, as zucchini noodles are best al dente, not mushy.)
- Use tongs to transfer zucchini noodles to a large serving bowl and top with the caprese.
- Absolutely delicious as a meal by itself, or serve it with a side of grilled chicken or fish.
Notes
This caprese is super easy to put together, but becomes much more flavorful as you allow it time to marinate. So be sure to start this at least one hour before you plan to eat and then let the caprese sit on the counter for at least an hour before serving so the flavors have a chance to meld together. Then, steam the zucchini noodles to desired texture and add the caprese on top.
Kelly I have been on the fence on ordering a spiralizer but your series has given me confidence that it is a useful, fun & healthy cooking tool. Thanks for this new series and introducing me to Ali’s blog too.
My pleasure, Marci. I was right there in your shoes. But when my family surprised me with one. I was super excited to discover how incredibly easy it is. And there are SO many ways to use it. Hope you get inspiralized too! 🙂
My husband loves caprese salad, but I find it a little boring and always look for little twists when I make it. This sounds like a great recipe to try. I’ll probably just chop up my zucchini…not sure about the spiralizer, but maybe down the road. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi, Jennifer. If you have a julienne peeler, that works fairly well. Or you can serve it over pasta, as with my traditional recipe. Also, don’t know if you saw this recipe in the past, but this is another yummy twist on caprese. Blessings to you! 🙂
http://thenourishinghome.com/2012/06/new-twist-on-caprese/
That’s a beautiful dish! Thank you.
Thank you for your kind words!
Made this tonight and left the zucchini noodles raw. This was delish!! I bought a cheap Veggetti at Target for about $15 just because I wanted to make this tonight and not wait on Amazon! 🙂 Pretty sure I’m going to invest in the bigger one though since my husband is working out and watching what he’s eating while he tries to lose about 80lbs. Hoping this will help him with his goal!
Hi, Beth! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe. What a wonderful wife you are to support your husband with his weight loss goal by cooking him nutritious whole food dinners. If you aren’t a subscriber, I’d like to invite you to join my community. I provide free weekly meal plans to subscribers as well as recipes and other healthy living resources. You can join here: http://eepurl.com/LFIpf Blessings, Kelly
I do!!! That’s how I found this recipe! Thank you so much for making it easier!!