When I first started Inspiralized, many people’s respond to my “I make pasta out of vegetables!” was, “Oh that’s cool, I love spaghetti squash!”
That respond just excited me, because when I then starting showing pictures of what I was making and how truly revolutionary it is, their response was…. speechless.
Having said that, I do really like spaghetti squash. Actually, I love it! It’s got it’s own wonderful taste, it’s own nutritional benefits, and of course, it’s not nice to neglect any vegetables. They all have their pros and cons, but since this is a blog that focuses a lot on “pasta alternatives,” I figured I’d look into their differences.
For the sake of today’s blog post, I’m comparing spaghetti squash and zucchini pasta on all different levels. But, needless to say, I’ll always favor my beloved zoodles.
I’d pick zucchini noodles over spaghetti squash for taste alone, but there are many other reasons why I favor the spiralized veggie. How did I come to this decision? Well, like any informed voter, I gathered all the facts to arrive at my final decision:
It takes significantly less time to prepare zucchini noodles than spaghetti squash. On average, it takes about 45-55 minutes to make a spaghetti squash, from start to finish. For zucchini, it takes about 1 minute (although, if you want it cooked, it can take up to 5 minutes at the most). That’s a 50 minute difference.
The consistency and texture of zoodles is more pasta-like. Spaghetti squash is very limp and “squishy.” Zucchini pasta has that al dente pasta texture – and, if you peel a zucchini before you spiralize it, it has the same look as regular spaghetti.
They are more versatile – when spiralizing, zucchinis can be turned into 3 different types of pasta shapes. Because the spiralizer has 3 blades, you can make different types of pastas, which beats the boredom of your only choice with spaghetti squash (bake and scrape).
They stand up better to thick sauces, as they are tougher in texture than spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash becomes extremely liquidy when sauces are added to it. It can quickly become very mushy. Zucchini noodles are sturdier, even when heated up in a skillet and pair better with proteins and heavy sauces like a pesto.
They can quickly be prepared in advance for the week, unlike spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash can be prepared in advance, but it loses its taste and does not reheat as well as zucchini noodles do. Plus, it would take hours to prepare as much spaghetti squash as you’d need for a week, whereas zoodles would take no more than 5 minutes.
Most importantly, they offer slightly more nutritional value than spaghetti squash. Just interesting to know!
NOTE: I am NOT a certified nutritionist, so all of these findings are through my own research. I’m not making any nutritional or dietary recommendations, just offering up information I found!
From the above comparison, you can tell that:
Zucchini Pasta is lower in carbohydrates (3.361 g), in sodium (9 mg), in sugars (0.581 g), in total fat (0.084 g) and in calories (10 cals).
Zucchini Pasta has more protein (1.371 g), more potassium (333 mg) and more dietary fiber (0.013 g).
A look into essential Vitamins & Minerals, shows that Zucchini Pasta outdoes Spaghetti Squash on every one, except for Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium and Selenium.
Information found from SELF’s Nutrition Data calculator.
Here’s the official comparison, by yours truly:
What do you think of this comparison?
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