Zoodle Spaghetti

One thing got in the way of another, and the next thing you know, it was late June before I planted my vegetable seeds this year. Better late than never, right?

It's really no big deal because I will soon have zucchini and beans and carrots and such. For now, my neighbors are throwing zucchini around like confetti because ZOMG EVERYONE GREW ZUCCHINI THIS YEAR.  I mean, I have gone through at least 10 or 15 happy little squash even without picking a single one out of my own garden.

That means there has been lots of baking, but also lots of zoodles have started to happen. I know I'm late to the zoodle party, but go back to that first paragraph and repeat the last sentence, mmkay? It still stands.

As a thank you to the neighbors who have been giving me zucchini for the past few weeks, I've been ordering the little vegetable spiral thingamabobs left and right and handing them out. So basically my entire neighborhood is late to the zoodle party, but we're all here now.

One of those neighbors asked me to post a super easy recipe using the zucchini noodle things, so here goes. (Yes, my neighbors read my blog. As in, a loooooot of my neighbors. They're all very lovely people.)

Zoodle Spaghetti (serves 4)

4 zucchini (smallish ones -- about 1 inch across)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 dozen meatballs (I used faux meatballs since we're a bunch of annoying vegetarians)
Shredded parmesan or mozzarella cheese to taste

1. Spiral up that zucchini. It takes a whopping five minutes to whip through 4 little zucchinis. (If you haven't one it before, it's just like sharpening a pencil. Just put the end in and spin.)

2. In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil. Add the zucchini, salt, black pepper, garlic, and basil. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the zucchini starts to turn a little bit clear. Use tongs to flip it occasionally as it cooks.

3. Meanwhile, heat your sauce and meatballs.

4. Drain as much of the extra liquid from the zucchini as possible.

5. Toss everything in a bowl together.

6. Be amazed as your one year-old manages to continuously slurp a zucchini noodle that's at least three feet long.