Video Series: Tips & Tricks for Spiralized Cooking

Spiralizing Tips & Info
Let’s address the elephant in the room: when you cook zucchini noodles, their excess moisture...

Let’s address the elephant in the room: when you cook zucchini noodles, their excess moisture releases and thins out your pasta sauce, resulting in a soupy bowl of noodles.

Phew! Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about how to prevent a watery pasta sauce. Actually, I wrote a brief post on this here, which has many of my top tips. However,Ā I finally made a video with my top tips on reducing zucchini noodles’ excess moisture, which includes steps you can takeĀ before, during and after cooking.

So, without further ado:

What are your favorite tips for avoiding a watery pasta sauce with zucchini noodles? Share them in the comments!Ā 

 

with love, Ali

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comments

  • Currently I wash my spiralizer as soon as I finish cutting.Thanks for the chance to win.
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  • There are some pre-made pasta sauces you can get called "stir through" sauces which are much thicker than regular ragu-style sauces. I've found these work quite well with vegetable noodles, they just end up more with the consistency of a regular sauce once some moisture has leaked through. Likewise straight pesto goes on well, if anything better than on spaghetti because the moisture helps it spread around more.
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  • I swish the parts in a sink of soapy water and let them air dry. But I'd really love to use that little Oxo gadget instead! :-)
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    • Replying to myself here! The comments will look rather strange on this post. The question to answer to enter the Oxo giveaway is "How do you clean your spiralizer?" But the question in the post itself is how to avoid watery sauce! I avoid watery sauce by dumping my cooked zoodles into a fine strainer and then onto some paper towels. If I blot them quickly, I can put them into my bowl and top them with the hot sauce (and meatballs & cheese!)
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  • Thanks for the great ideas!
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  • Hi Ali. I appreciate the tips on how to keep pasta sauce from being watery, but for future videos I would appreciate it if the volume of the music was much lower - at least for me it was overwhelming while I was watchingā€¦ Thanks. Susan :-)
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  • I drain them like regular pasta if I am adding a sauce. But usually I incorporate the released moisture into the sauce I make.
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  • I clean mine by rinsing immediately and using a toothpick for the hard to reach pieces!
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  • A dish brush! Not as cute as the OXO one though haha
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  • When making potato pancakes I place my shredded potatoes and onions in a salad spinner and it does a great job of removing the water. Think I may try this with the zucchini. What do you think?
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  • Great ideas for getting the water outta the Znoodles. Just have to say I love your posts about everything Inspiralized you have helped me to absolutely LOVE Zucchini... And Congrats on your Engagement!!!!
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  • I found this tip a couple weeks ago, I tried it, and it definitely got a lot of water out of the zucchini before cooking. Toss with the 2 teaspoons salt, and place in a colander to drain for 30 minutes. Make sure to rinse the salt off with cold water before or after cooking.
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  • I drain my zoodles in a colander and then pat dry with paper towels, if I'm planning to use them in a light or creamy sauce. If I'm making tomato based sauce, I just add them at the end of the cook time to warm. Enjoyed your video! Thank you!
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  • Loving my spiralizer! Thanks for the tips and the chance to win.
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  • I would love it if you would try salting the Zoodles generously and letting them sit and drain for a half hour. I've seen this done for eggplant and other watery vegetables -- it draws the water out by osmosis. For example, here's a quote from an eggplant parm recipe: "FOR THE EGGPLANT: Toss eggplant and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt in large bowl until combined; transfer salted eggplant to large colander set over bowl. Let stand until eggplant releases liquid, 30 to 45 minutes. Arrange eggplant slices on paper towels; cover with paper towels. Firmly press each slice to remove as much liquid as possible, then wipe off excess salt."
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  • i am currently just soaking it in warm soapy water to get most of the food off before cleaning with a kitchen brush!
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  • I still stand by steaming them in a colander -- excess liquid released during the cooking process drips through! :)
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  • Just got a spiralizer for my birthday, thanks for all the recipes and tips! So far just using an old toothbrush to clean it.
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  • I use dish brush & hot soapy water to clean my spiralizer... but those brushes look like they would do a better job!
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  • Love my spiralizer! Thank you for all the awesome recipes!
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  • I put them in a colander and let them "drip dry" for a bit -then make sure that the pasta sauce i am using is fairly substantial. Loved your video - very very good! Thanks for your recipes - I bought the spiralizer because of you and am fixing dinner for the husband this evening with your recipes :)
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  • I quite often use a 'turkey baster' to suck excess moisture out of a casserole dish or 9x13" or 9x9" pan - just tilt the casserole and work from the one place where all the excess moisture flows. This probably wouldn't work if an all-over sauce was just too thin, but I don't have a problem if I get it before stirring everything together. BTW, over the 44 yrs I've been married I've gone through quite a few turkey basters, but the last one I got has lasted a long time: it's got a rubber/plastic bulb on top, and the long part that holds the liquid is metal. Ali, that might be a good 'give-away' if you can demonstrate a need to the manufacturer! hint-hint :-)
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  • I toss my zoodles with salt and let them drain in a colander for 20-30 minutes, then rinse. Works everytime! :)
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