A balanced blend of pasta and spiralized zucchini noodles are tossed in a garlicky sesame dressing and served with tender baby spinach in this light and flavorful summer meal.
I was having a conversation with my family about food trends recently. I think it started when some form of toast was spotted on a restaurant menu, much to my parents’ confusion. I explained that toast is hot these days. All the kids are making toast. Still confused. My mom proposed that maybe if the toast was made with some really good bread it would make sense. Nope. The bread is irrelevant, it’s just a vehicle for other stuff. Not sure how well I cleared that one up.
One food trend that doesn’t require a whole lot of explanation is zoodles. Zoodles have been around for a while. (I think the word “zoodle” itself is relatively new though. I may be wrong about that. I’m old.)
Zoodles have some staying power, because they’re awesome. You’ve got to love noodles made out of veggies. They’re healthier, lighter, and a great way to use up your summer zucchini. Also, you can eat a massive, and I mean massive, plate of zoodles without falling asleep afterwords. I have yet to discover my own zoodle coma threshold. Oh, and another cool thing is that if you use a big zucchini and play your cards right, you just might end up with a zoodle that’s about eight hundred feet long.
Zoodles do have a dark side. I’ll be totally honest and admit that if I eat a dinner consisting of 100% zoodle, I end up sneaking into the kitchen for crackers before bed, which never happens with conventional pasta, as bed usually immediately follows the meal.
This dish has the best of both zoodles and noodles. I did not take a nap after I ate this, nor did I sneak in some bedtime crackers. It was also super delicious and took about twenty minutes to make. I dug this one a lot, and I’m betting the zoodle/noodle combo will be making repeat appearances on my dinner menu this summer. If you’re not into the combo, feel free to double up on the zucchini, keeping things ultra healthy, or on the pasta if you’re resistant to carb slumber or just don’t mind it.
- 3 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1½ tbsp. maple syrup or agave
- 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil
- 1-3 tsp. Asian chili paste (or to taste)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tbsp. fresh grated ginger
- 4 oz. whole wheat spaghetti (or dried pasta noodles of choice)
- 1 large zucchini, spiralized
- 3 cups baby spinach, lightly packed
- 2 scallions, chopped
- toasted sesame seeds
- Stir soy sauce, maple syrup or agave, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and chili paste together in small bowl. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. When about 30 seconds of cook time remain, add zucchini noodles. Remove from heat and drain in a colander.
- Return pasta and zucchini noodles to pot. Stir in spinach and soy sauce mixture. Toss a few times until noodles are well coated and spinach is distributed and lightly wilted.
- Transfer to bowls and sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve.
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