I wish so badly that I was the person who invented zucchini noodles.

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I also wish that instead of slicing all of my zucchini by hand, I would have known about the existence of this little tool.

Although, please tell me I’m not the only one who thinks cutting vegetables into small pieces is therapeutic?

(Upon typing that I realized how serial killery it sounds. But really, that rhythmic, chop chop chop is the kitchen equivalent to running ten miles. Okay, now you think I’m totally bonkers. But trust me when I tell you that zucchini noodles are way cooler than they sound. They also taste better than you are imagining.)

Meeker said wow, these actually taste like noodles – and he never thinks chopping and running ten miles (or vegetable eating) sound therapeutic…so you can go ahead and trust him here.

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Zucchini Noodles and Turkey Marinara

  • 2-3 large zucchini
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
  • 1 handful of chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 handful chopped fresh basil
  • 1 t dried oregano
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1-2 T salt + more for seasoning to taste

Julienne the zucchini into noodle shapes, or use a julienne peeler. Then place them all in a colander and sprinkle them with the 1-2 tablespoons of salt. Toss to coat. Then let them set in the sink or on a towel for about 20 minutes. I know you are tempted to skip this step (I skipped it the first time), but don’t…it makes all the difference between soggy noodles and tender noodles.

Rinse the salt off and pat dry.

Brown the turkey in a medium saucepan and add the parsley, basil, oregano, garlic and red pepper flakes. Add the tomato sauce, turn to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium sized skillet and add the zucchini noodles – they should already be pretty tender, so you won’t need to cook them long. 5 – 7 minutes, tops.

Serve the marinara on the zucchini noodles and enjoy!

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I KNOW. It’s the best news. You can eat twenty-nine bowls of noodles and then pat yourself on the back for filling your vegetable quota for the next six months.

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