Zucchini Noodles with Alfredo Sauce

By Daisy Luther

It’s national “Sneak Zucchini on Your Neighbor’s Porch Week” but you don’t have to celebrate it with a stealth mission to unload baseball bat sized squash on unsuspecting neighbors. You can make a delicious meal from it, and you can also easily preserve it for later.

How about some garden fresh Zucchini Noodles Alfredo?

First, here’s how to make Zoodles and Squashetti

A while back, I read about two wonderful things….Zoodles and Squashetti. I have more zucchini than I know what to do with, so I decided to try it out.

If you aren’t familiar with making noodles out of your squash,  here’s a great video from my friend Vickilynn, in which she shows you how easy it is to make them using this awesome little Spiralizer gizmo.

Another great thing about zoodles is that they can be dehydrated…here’s how! This is a great way to save some of that garden goodness for later on in the year when your garden is no longer spilling forth produce.

Making zucchini noodles without a Spiralizer

First, make your zoodles.  You’ll want to have these prepped and ready to go into the pot of boiling water before you make your sauce.  Timing is everything!

Scrub your veggies well and cut off the stem and blossom ends.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a Spiralizer yet. You can also use a vegetable peeler for this process. I left some of the peel on because I like the way it adds some color and density to the dish, but make sure it’s only a teeny ribbon of peel or it is tough and unpleasant.

Using your vegetable peeler, make long ribbons of lovely squash and zucchini that look like this:

When you get to the seed-y part, stop making ribbons.  It will fall apart when you cook it.  Save that for your compost or your chickens, or find some other use for it.

When it’s time to cook your zoodles, drop them in boiling water for about 2 minutes for al dente.  Drain in a colander for at least 5 minutes before serving.  Toss them in the colander a few times to help get the water out. If you want, you can lightly salt them.

 Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo sauce is the simplest “fancy” thing you’ll ever make. I like to use cream and a substantial amount of butter in mine. If you want less fat, you can use whole milk and cut the butter in half. (Simply don’t add the final two tbsp of butter in the following instructions.) I used gluten-free flour for thickening, but you can use regular flour, tapioca flour, or organic cornstarch too.  It’s a very forgiving recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of cream (or milk or milk and cream)
• 1 cup of fresh grated parmesan
• 3 cloves of garlic (or to taste)
• 4 tbsp of butter, divided
• 2 tbsp of flour or alternative
• 1/2 tsp of nutmeg (trust me)
• Salt and fresh black pepper to taste
• Optional: Crispy bacon, extra Parmesan, and chives for the top

Ingredients

1. I used raw milk so I skimmed the cream off the top with a big turkey basting syringe.
2. In a saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of butter and sautee your finely minced garlic in it until it is fragrant.  Then sprinkle 2 tbps of flour or alternative into the butter, whisking to make a roue.
3. Slowly pour in your milk or cream, whisking constantly.  Warm to a very low simmer.
4. When your cream sauce has thickened to the desired consistency, stir in 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  (Be sure to have this grated and ready to go – I had my minion…ahem…kid…do the grating for me while I was working on the sauce.) Continue to whisk until it has melted and incorporated into the sauce.
5. Finally, finish the sauce by adding your spices and on final tbsp of butter.  Remove it from the heat immediately.

Ta-dahhhhh….Zucchini Noodles Alfredo with Chicken

Serve the  Alfredo sauce over drained zucchini noodles for a vegetarian version. If you’re a carnivore, add some grilled or roasted chicken. For extra deliciousness, sprinkle it with some crispy bacon, fresh Parmesan, and chives.