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How to Spiralize … it’s easy, delicious and nutritious!

By Kelly · 22 Comments

Learn How to Spiralize

I’m smitten with this amazing little kitchen gadget called the “Spiralizer.” Why? Because it’s an easy, delicious and nutritious way add more wholesome veggies to your family’s plate! Plus, these scrumptious little “zoodles” make a healthy grain-free replacement for pasta whether you plan to Join Us for the Whole30 or not.

In fact, in far less time than it takes to boil water and cook pasta, you can spiralize a whole bunch of zucchini noodles, and other delicious veggie noodles, such as butternut squash, sweet potatoes, beets, cucumbers and more.

Let me show you how simple it is to spiralize … and be sure to check out all of the spiralizer recipes I’m sharing by scrolling down to “Cooking Your Spiralizer Veggies” below.

P.S. Personally, I use the Paderno Spiralizer, but there’s lots of spiralizers out there to choose from like these! So it’s easy to find one that matches best with your preferences and budget!

How to Spiralize – Just 3 Easy Steps

Step One: Prep the Veggie

Cut Zucchini Evenly

First, trim the ends off of the zucchini (or veggie you opt to use). It’s important to select veggies that are evenly shaped (like a long even cylinder) and are at least two-inches thick for best results. If you have slightly uneven veggies, cut them into shorter cylinder lengths. You can opt to peel the zucchini or not. However, for some veggies, like butternut squash, peeling is a must.

Step Two: Properly Lining Up & Securing the Veggie

Lining Up Zucchini Collage

Once you have the veggies trimmed, it’s important to properly line up the veggie by placing the thickest end into the hole at the front of the spiralizer. You want to be sure that the hole is lined up in the center of the veggie as shown in the photo collage above.

Securing Zucchini

Next, move the sharp gripper to the other end of the veggie and push it securely into place. This will ensure your veggie is centered properly for best results.

It’s also important to be sure the base is secure. So push down on the spiralizer until the suction-cup feet are secure. A flat countertop is best, so ignore my wood cutting board pictures, they’re pretty but not practical as the little feet will more easily lose their grip on a wood surface.

Step Three:  Ready to Spiralize!

Spiralizing

Once the veggie and base are secure, use one hand to hold the handle at the bottom and gently push that handle forward into the blade, while using the other handle to turn the spiralizer in a clockwise direction. As you can see in the photo above, the zucchini is instantly transformed into nutritious zucchini noodles that can be used in virtually any pasta recipe as a healthy, grain-free option.

Zoodle Shapes Collage

One of my favorite things about the spiralizer is that you can change the shape of your “zoodles” by simply selecting from among the three blades that come with it. As shown in the photo collage above (from left to right): The blade with the small holes creates zoodles that are about the thickness of spaghetti. The larger hole blade creates thicker noodles similar to bucatini. And the flat blade creates beautiful ribbons of zoodles similar to pappardelle. This provides a wonderful versatility in creating a multitude of healthy and delicious recipes.

Cutting Zucchini Noodles

One thing you’ll quickly notice about zoodles is that they are really L O N G … so it’s best to cut them into manageable lengths, unless of course you don’t mind twirling your fork forever, or enjoying a never-ending zoodle slurp (hee hee!).

Leftover veggies collage

Wondering what to do with those funny little spiralizer veggie plugs and ends? As you can see above, our sweet little guinea pig Phoebe is more than willing to take care of them for us. But if you don’t have a furry little friend, be sure to use these leftover veggie bits & pieces in soups, stocks, casseroles, sautés or in your compost.

Storing Your Spiralized Veggies

Storing Zucchini Noodles

Another great thing about spiralizing, is that most of the veggies can be easily stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, making it easy to prep ahead. I prefer to use glass snap ware containers for storing my spiraled veggies. Just place a paper towel at the bottom of the dish to help absorb any excess moisture. Then secure the lid and store in the fridge until ready to cook.

Cooking Your Spiralized Veggies

Steaming Zoodles

For most dishes, you can simply add the raw zoodles to your finished sauce to warm them. If using them in cold dishes or salads, you may wish to steam them a bit first. Just remember to not overcook your zoodles, as they’re best served al dente, not mushy.

Oodles of Zoodles Spiralizer Recipes

Ready to get started spiralizing, here a few of my favorite veggie-packed spiralizer recipes perfect for putting your new “zoodles” skills to work:
• Chicken Zoodle Pho Bowl (Whole30, GF, DF)
• Slow Cooker Italian Beef & Swiss Chard with Zoodles (Whole30, GF, DF)
• Pan-Seared Balsamic Chicken with Pesto Zoodles (Whole30, GF, DF)
• Veggie Sauté with Zoodle Ribbons (Whole30, GF, DF)
• Veggie Stir Fry with Zoodles (Whole30, GF, DF)

By the way, if you’d like to Join Us for the Whole30, you can join in anytime. Also, just a friendly reminder, that I provide free monthly meal plans over at The Better Mom blog. Each week’s meal plan contains delicious family-friendly GF recipes utilizing a time-saving method to make getting a healthy dinner on the table a snap! I highly recommend you pop over to The Better Mom and download these free meal plans.

P.S. If the price tag of the spiralizer isn’t within budget, I wanted to let you know about an affordable alternative. Oxo makes a terrific little julienne peeler that can be used to create zoodles. It takes more effort and it doesn’t produce completely uniform in size zoodles, but it still works quite well and is a good option while you save for the real deal.

Disclosure: The above links to the spiralizer kitchen tool are amazon affiliate links. By purchasing via these links The Nourishing Home receives a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Of course, you are not obligated to use these links to make a purchase, but if you do, please know that it helps to support this site and ministry. Thank you!

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Filed Under: Meatless, Sides, The FUNdamentals, Whole30 ·

Comments

  1. Kristin says

    April 6, 2014 at 9:07 pm

    I still haven’t tried making zoodles. Truthfully, I’ve been a bit intimidated by the idea, but your tutorial has taken away my fear. I can’t wait to make these. I think even my four year-old would eat them.

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      April 6, 2014 at 10:02 pm

      Thanks, Kristin! You are so sweet. I am sure you will love this little kitchen gadget. I can’t wait to see what you create with it. 🙂 Blessings, sweet friend! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Melissa says

    April 10, 2014 at 3:28 pm

    Thanks for the tutorial! I have wanted to take the time to figure out how to do this. I have given up things with high carbs so regular pasta doesn’t work for me. Plus we end up with so much zucchini in the summer and never know what to do with it all. If you included it in your article, I missed it but what veggies can you do this with? Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      April 10, 2014 at 4:35 pm

      Hi, Melissa. So glad you found this helpful, and yes, what a great way to use up all that summer squash. You can spiralize many different veggies such as zucchini, yellow squash, beets, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and white potatoes to name the most popular. The key is making sure the veggie is at least two-inches in diameter for best results. I personally haven’t been able to find large enough carrots yet, but I know they’ll be around soon. The big wide ones work best. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Tiffany @ Dontwastethecrumbs says

    April 19, 2014 at 4:00 pm

    Love this! What a great way to “sneak” veggies into dinner!! Definitely sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      April 20, 2014 at 3:34 pm

      Thanks, Tiffany! Happy Easter! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Michele says

    April 23, 2014 at 8:24 am

    Amazon sometimes has the Spiralizer on sale for about $25.

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      April 23, 2014 at 9:27 am

      That is true! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  5. Dena Norton says

    April 28, 2014 at 5:31 am

    Love the tip for storing with a paper towel. I love spiralizing, but always hated that I didn’t have a great solution for keeping the “zoodles” fresh for a second round…Now I do – thanks!

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      April 28, 2014 at 8:42 am

      You are so welcome! So glad this helped, sweet friend! xo

      Reply
  6. momof5 says

    June 23, 2014 at 7:30 am

    kelly,
    i bought the spiralizer a few months ago when you first posted this and LOVE it! i’m glad i came back to reread this post today (followed the link from your chicken parm post today)because i hadn’t thought to use yellow summer squash and forgot that i could make ahead and store it in the fridge for a few days. i’m in my 3rd trimester with #6 and am struggling with healthy meals for my kids these days. i just have no energy and the heat totally kills my appetite. this is such an easy meal that the kids LOVE! THANK YOU!!!

    i will email you a pic of my 18 month old devouring her zoodles! 🙂

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      June 23, 2014 at 3:28 pm

      So happy you are enjoying your spiralizer. We love it too! And I would absolutely love to see your little one eating her zoodles. Can’t wait!! Blessings, Kelly 🙂

      Reply
  7. Celina says

    June 23, 2014 at 4:39 pm

    Kelly, your entire website is a wealth of much needed information, God bless you! I loved this spiralizer idea, bought one and tried it out tonight on our family with a huge thumbs up from everyone! Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      June 23, 2014 at 4:52 pm

      Yay! So glad you all are enjoying zoodles too! Thanks for blessing me with your kind words. I’m so happy that you’re finding this site and recipes helpful! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Tina says

    August 18, 2014 at 1:49 pm

    So appreciate the tutorial! Any recommendations on steaming time for any of the spiraled veggies?

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      August 18, 2014 at 3:04 pm

      Hi, Tina. It varies among the veggies depending on their firmness and also your personal preference. We like our zucchini noodles “al dente” for lack of a better way to describe, so I only steam about 1-2 minutes. Be sure to use tongs to flip them as you steam otherwise the noodles on the bottom get too soft and the noodles at the top are too firm. Good reason not to overcrowd your steaming basket. Also note, you do not have to steam any veggie noodle, if you are adding it to a sauce that you’ve cooked. In other words, you can add the veggie noodles to your homemade sauce at the end of its cook time and allow the veggie noodles to soften to your preferred texture. Hope this helps! Happy zoodle making! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Nancy says

    December 31, 2014 at 12:39 pm

    There so many on Amazon which one would you recommend.

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      December 31, 2014 at 1:04 pm

      Hey, Mom! Do not get a spiralizer. Santa has a special delivery coming for you just in time for your birthday!! xoxo

      Reply
  10. Golden says

    March 2, 2015 at 6:05 am

    Thank you SOO much for the step by step directions and explanation behind the different blades and output. I’m so glad you covered the make ahead prep option because I can’t see myself whipping this out every single day. Do you think there is any benefit to the 4-blade version?

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      March 2, 2015 at 5:29 pm

      Hi, you are SO welcome! I’m glad you found this helpful. The main difference between the 3-blade and 4-blade is they offer another size noodle that is smaller (thinner). I haven’t been convinced to replace my 3-blade with the newer 4-blade. Of course, if someone wants to send one to me for my birthday, I’m not opposed. LOL! 🙂 Enjoy!

      Reply
  11. trish says

    May 23, 2015 at 7:36 am

    Do you have any recommendations on what kind of spiralizer to buy?

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      May 23, 2015 at 7:57 am

      Hi, Trish. Thanks for your kind note. If you click on the turquoise type “spiralizer” it will take you to Amazon to see the one I use. To make it easy, I’ve included the link in this note. There is a new 4-blade version of this model that you might want to take a look at as well. I am happy with the 3-blade, and have been using it for over a year now. But I wanted to mention the 4-blade incase you wanted to check it out. Have a blessed holiday weekend! 🙂 Kelly
      http://amzn.to/1St0U3j

      Reply

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