Pasta was a staple in my Italian-Canadian family's diet. At my grandmother's house, I was the grandchild who loved pasta the most. I requested seconds. I wanted to twirl and twirl and twirl until my hand got tired.
Confession: I still love gluten.
These days, it seems the latest health messaging is very anti-gluten. I know that for some people this is not just a superficial choice, but a serious health concern. The woman who taught me how to twirl my pasta, my mother, is now extremely sensitive to gluten and has cut back her twirling habits drastically. While I try my best to eat healthy grains (whole, unprocessed, spelt etc.) I will never turn down my grandmother's homemade pasta. I even tried to make my own tagliatelle in Italy this summer.
However, day to day, on my own, I rarely touch the white stuff. Last night, when wondering what to pair with a jar of tomato sauce, I experimented with Zoodles. Zoodles, or zucchini noodles are made by shredding the zucchini into ribbons using either a mandolin (which I don't have) or a julienne vegetable peeler (which I do have). Once shredded, lightly sauté the ribbons in a pan with olive oil and dress the way you would pasta. I added some homemade tomato sauce and parmesan cheese to mine.
However, day to day, on my own, I rarely touch the white stuff. Last night, when wondering what to pair with a jar of tomato sauce, I experimented with Zoodles. Zoodles, or zucchini noodles are made by shredding the zucchini into ribbons using either a mandolin (which I don't have) or a julienne vegetable peeler (which I do have). Once shredded, lightly sauté the ribbons in a pan with olive oil and dress the way you would pasta. I added some homemade tomato sauce and parmesan cheese to mine.
Once complete, twirl to your healthy heart's desire.
Recipe here!
