We love showing people how exciting vegetables can be when they’re re-thought and transformed!
We aren’t necessarily talking molecular gastronomy here; we just aim to present what’s familiar in a surprising, innovative way. That’s the premise of our book, The Southern Vegetarian: 100 Down-Home Recipes for the Modern Table and our blog, The Chubby Vegetarian.
We first tried spiralizing vegetables last year on a “Will-it-work?” news segment on the NBC affiliate station here in our hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. One spin and we were sold! Imagine being able to take vegetables like zucchini, sweet potatoes, or cucumbers — good-for-you ingredients that may be a hard sell at the family dinner table — and turn them into good, pasta-like noodles.
We think it’s a win if we can sub in a fresh vegetable for regular pasta, so spiralizers are perfect for those who’d like to incorporate more vegetables into their diet. To celebrate our new favorite kitchen tool, we created Spiralized Sweet Potato Noodles with Mushroom Bolognese Sauce using our Paderno 4-Blade Spiralizer and an abundance of vegetables. The Paderno model was straightforward and simple to use with whole, large sweet potatoes. Its open design even folds up to about the size of a loaf of bread for storage. Just make sure you get the vegetable lined up on the proper axis before taking it for a spin.
The GEFU Spiralfix is about the size of a mini food processor and requires the user to cut the vegetables to fit inside the work bowl. This design is well-suited for ingredients that are round in shape, like apples and beets. It’s a sturdy machine with a wealth of cutting options.
This recipe is real comfort food made with whole ingredients. Feel free to adapt this model and make your favorite pasta dish using spiralized vegetables. Just use your favorite pesto with spiralized zucchini and grape tomatoes or your family’s secret marinara sauce with spiralized Yukon Gold potatoes.
You have to try spiralizing your dinner soon, but if you’re a bit skeptical about this whole idea, do what we did at first: mix in some traditional pasta with spiralized carrots or zucchini. We think you’ll love how it lightens up your usual pasta plate.
Spiralized Sweet Potato Noodles with Mushroom Bolognese Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups chopped portobello mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon truffle salt (or Kosher salt)
- Cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 28-ounce can crushed, fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (more for garnish)
- 1 large peeled sweet potato
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves (to garnish)
- 1/8 cup shredded Asiago cheese (to garnish)
INSTRUCTIONS
Into the work bowl of your food processor, place the onion and the garlic. Pulse until finely chopped. Set the chopped onion and garlic mixture aside. Place the portobellos in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Set mushrooms aside.
In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until it shimmers. Place finely chopped onion and garlic mixture into the pan with the olive oil. Carefully stir the mixture and watch it carefully so the garlic doesn’t burn. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture starts to brown. Add the finely chopped mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated from the mixture; this takes about 5 minutes.
Add the truffle salt, black pepper, dried thyme, tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar. Stir and reduce heat to low. Keep warm on the stovetop until ready to serve.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Spiralize the sweet potato using the largest set of blades for thick, hearty sweet potato noodles. Briefly blanch the sweet potato noodles in the salted water for 30 seconds. Remove noodles from water and place them into the skillet containing the Mushroom Bolognese Sauce. Toss to coat. Place mixture on a large platter and garnish with parsley leaves and shredded Asiago cheese. Drizzle the finished dish with a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.
Fresh Cucumber Noodles with Cashews and Mint
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large English cucumber (about 14 inches)
- 1 small Serrano pepper (very thinly sliced)
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon plum vinegar
- 1 teaspoon mirin
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 cup mint leaves
- 1/2 cup crushed cashews
- 1 tablespoon sliced chives
INSTRUCTIONS
Run the cucumber through the spiralizer using the setting for medium thickness. In a large bowl, toss the cucumber, Serrano pepper, ginger, soy, vinegar, mirin, and sesame oil together until everything is well-coated. Place onto a plate to serve family-style or divide between two bowls for individual servings. Garnish with mint, cashews, and chives.
