I recently realized that I don’t have a single noodle recipe on this website; a situation that needs to be corrected. Because I try to cook meat no more than once a week, noodles are a go-to in my kitchen. One of my favorite brands is Tolerant - noodles made from legumes. Here, I used Tolerant Green Lentil Rotini. Yes, alternative noodles taste different but the pay-off in grams of fiber is very high and thus, in my opinion, totally worth it :)
This recipe is meant to be a quick weeknight staple. The zucchini mixture comes together in no more time than it takes to cook the noodles. You can use more or less zucchini, and more or less garlic. There is no need to measure. If you don’t have fresh thyme, throw in a pinch of dried thyme. Letting the zucchini soften and cook in a good amount of olive oil really makes this dish. I find it immensely satisfying to make a nourishing meal in very little time and with very few ingredients, and I trust that you do as well.
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Zucchini Noodles
Note: When I cook noodles, I cook them with a good amount of sea salt and then the finished dish requires very little, if any, additional salt. Obviously, if you cook your noodles unsalted, you will need to add quite a bit more salt at the end.
8 oz package of your choice of noodles
Good glug of olive oil (you’ll probably use more than one glug)
2 medium zucchini, grated
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Several sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped
Juice of half a lemon, to taste
Sea salt to taste (see note above)
To serve:
Chopped parsley or mint
Toasted slivered almonds
Cook your noodles according to the directions on the package (see my note on salt above).
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat, pour in a good glug of olive oil and add the grated zucchini (because this is is meant to be a super-quick recipe, I often grate my zucchini straight into the skillet). Stir well, then add the chopped garlic and thyme leaves (which I also strip straight into the skillet). Let this mixture saute for about 5-7 minutes, stirring every minute or two. I turn off the heat when I start to scrape the zucchini off the bottom with my spatula. If it’s looking dry over the course of this time, feel free to glug in some more olive oil.
When your noodles are finished cooking, quickly drain them, then add them to the zucchini mixture and gently toss to incorporate. Season with the lemon juice and sea salt, as needed.
Serves 4-6
