7 Veggie Noodle Recipes That'll Make You Forget All About Pasta (2024)

New ways to get more veggies in your diet

by Suzee Skwiot
7 Veggie Noodle Recipes That'll Make You Forget All About Pasta (1)

Now, this is how you get oodles of (healthy) noodles. From spaghetti to lasagna, it's hard not to love traditional noodles, but for #NationalNoodleDay, we're taking a different approach to one of our favorite carbo-loading sources.

RELATED: 5 Easy, Inexpensive Organic Meals

Instead of regular pasta, we're making an unconventional swap and replacing our favorite noodles with some of the season's most in-demand vegetables. Just grab a spiralizer or slicer and get to work.

Ali Maffucci, the founder of the Inspiralizer, has made the vegetable-for-noodle swap and never looked back. "It makes me more aware of the foods that I'm putting into my body, since it involves a lot of fresh produce," Maffucci tells Rodale Wellness. "[Spiralizing] encourages me to eat locally and very seasonally. I have never had that 'go-to' [dish] before, so I would easily make the decision to order takeout or eat something that wouldn't nourish my body nearly as much as that bowl of spiralized veggies."

Now, she's all about veggie noodles. "If you aren't sure it's for you, a great way to ease into it is by replacing half of the spaghetti with a spiralized vegetable," she adds. "Squeeze in more veggies and halve the amount of processed spaghetti in the meal. I promise, you won't miss it!" (Try this fancy potto cook both to perfection)

Ready to make the swap? Follow these 7 recipes to get you started:

Carrot Noodles

7 Veggie Noodle Recipes That'll Make You Forget All About Pasta (3)

It tastes like hummus, and it improves your vision—all perks of this veggie-loaded dish.

The real key to getting the "noodles" just right is to lightly boil the carrots before spiralizing, in order to get them a bit fluffier, much like a whole wheat pasta.

Check it out here: Mediterranean Chicken and Carrot Noodle Bowl With Tahini

Sweet Potato Noodles

7 Veggie Noodle Recipes That'll Make You Forget All About Pasta (4)

Orange and pink combine in this potato and salmon dish, giving you beautiful color and a dish ready from 'gramming.

The sweet and savory combo of the two main ingredients is top-notch, and you can easily turn it into a gluten-free or Paleo dish by swapping the miso for tahini.

Check it out here: Ginger Roasted Salmon and Sweet Potato Noodles With Miso-Maple Dressing

Beet Noodles

7 Veggie Noodle Recipes That'll Make You Forget All About Pasta (5)

They're one of the greatest superfoods, and have actually been proven to boost athletic performance, but did you know that beets are also a great noodle alternative?

Happily, the summer-to-fall transition veggie is abundant right now, and it can easily be added in place of your go-to spaghetti dish.

Check it out here: Beet Noodles With Tomatoes, Feta, and Bacon

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Butternut Squash Lasagna

7 Veggie Noodle Recipes That'll Make You Forget All About Pasta (6)

It's an extra-easy swap: Instead of layering lasagna noodles in this all-time favorite dish, slice butternut squash into thin shavings and blanket over the added toppings.

Throw in additional vegetables or meat, for flavor varieties.

Check it out here: Winter Kale, Sausage and Butternut Squash Lasagna

Zucchini Noodles

7 Veggie Noodle Recipes That'll Make You Forget All About Pasta (7)

Arguably the most popular noodle alternative, zucchini perfectly lends itself to being sliced into beautiful, paper-thin, pastalike ribbons.

Toss it with some simple olive oil and lemon to bring out the flavor of the veggie, and serve as a side to any other dish.

Check it out here: Zucchini Ribbon 'Pasta'

Rutabaga Noodles

7 Veggie Noodle Recipes That'll Make You Forget All About Pasta (8)

A hearty winter stew is good way to stay steamy during the year's coldest months.

With other in-season veggies, the rutabaga's flavors can shine, and the vitamin C–loaded vegetable remains the star.

Check it out here: Winter Kale Vegetable Stew With Rutabaga Noodles

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Cucumber Noodles

7 Veggie Noodle Recipes That'll Make You Forget All About Pasta (9)

Best served cold, cucumbers are low in calories, yet they remain one of the most filling veggies in any grocery story produce aisle.

For a lunchtime snack, ditch the usual sandwich and stock up on some waist-line-friendly cucumber noodles.

Check it out here: Avocado-Tuna Salad With Cucumber Noodles

This article originally appeared in Rodale Wellness

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7 Veggie Noodle Recipes That'll Make You Forget All About Pasta (2024)

FAQs

What veggie noodles taste most like pasta? ›

Zucchini – Zucchini noodles, or “zoodles,” have grown fast in popularity with good reason — their mild flavor and slightly firmer texture than spaghetti squash makes a perfect base for all sauces, including cream-based ones like alfredo.

What vegetables can you make noodles out of? ›

Here are some of the best vegetables for spiralling:
  • Zoodles (zucchini noodles)
  • Coodles (carrot noodles)
  • Swoodles (sweet potato noodles)
  • Squoodles (squash noodles)
  • Boodles (broccoli stem noodles)
  • Poodles (parsnip noodles)
  • Toodles (turnip noodles)
Jun 22, 2017

What is veggie noodles made of? ›

Veggie noodles are typically made from vegetables such as zucchini, carrots, or sweet potatoes, and are a popular low-carbohydrate alternative to traditional pasta noodles. Compared to regular noodles, veggie noodles generally have fewer calories, fewer carbohydrates, and more fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Are vegetable noodles healthy? ›

Vegetable noodles are the best

Fresh vegetables used in the place of noodles are clearly the healthiest option. One popular way to make veggies like sweet potato, cucumber or zucchini look like noodles is to spiralize them, or use a machine to slice them into long, curly strands.

What veggie pasta is the healthiest? ›

Chickpea Pasta

Made of chickpea flour and water, this pasta has the same health benefits as a can of chickpeas. That means fiber, folate, magnesium, and potassium. It also has 15% of your daily value of iron and all nine essential amino acids that make it a complete protein. That's 12 grams per cup cooked.

What can I eat instead of pasta to lose weight? ›

6 Healthy Alternatives to Traditional Pasta
  • Zucchini Noodles or “Zoodles” Zucchini is low in saturated fat and sodium, and very low in cholesterol. ...
  • Squash Noodles. ...
  • Quinoa Pasta. ...
  • Rice Pasta. ...
  • Black Bean Pasta. ...
  • Shirataki Noodles.

What can I put on noodles if I don't have anything? ›

Cheese is an excellent way to add flavor to your pasta without having to rely on sauce. Try mixing your angel hair pasta with goat cheese, and toss in sun-dried tomatoes to make an amazing meal with just a few ingredients. Garlic butter is a terrific way to season all types of noodles.

What can I eat instead of pasta? ›

8 Low-Carb & Grain-Free Substitutes for Pasta
  • Zucchini. Zucchini is a popular noodle substitute because its texture makes it easy to spiral out into spaghetti-like shapes. ...
  • Cauliflower. ...
  • Spaghetti Squash. ...
  • Egg Noodles. ...
  • Cucumber. ...
  • Broccoli. ...
  • Eggplant. ...
  • Cabbage.

What is the healthiest pasta to eat? ›

6 Healthy Noodles You Should Be Eating, According to a Dietitian
  • Whole-Wheat Pasta.
  • Chickpea Pasta.
  • Veggie Noodles.
  • Red Lentil Pasta.
  • Soba Noodles.
  • White Pasta.
Jul 13, 2023

What vegetable can replace pasta? ›

5 Healthy Veggies That Make Awesome Pasta Substitutes
  • The Original: Spaghetti Squash. ...
  • Perfect for a Spring Pasta Recipe: Zucchini. ...
  • Get Your Peanut Butter Fix: Sweet Potato Noodles. ...
  • Brighten Up Summer Pasta Salads: No-Cook Cucumber Noodles. ...
  • Get Garlicky Mashed Potato Flavor in Noodle Form: Turnips.

What type of pasta is lowest in carbs? ›

Palmini low-carb pasta uses the interior of a type of palm tree to create a pasta-like substitution. If you've ever had hearts of palm, the taste is somewhat unique (some people love it, and others hate it). As far as low carb noodles are concerned, Palmini is a great option with fewer carbs than most.

What are Japanese root vegetable noodles? ›

Shirataki noodles are opaque, round, long, and gelatinous noodles made from konjac, a Japanese root vegetable. The starch from konjac is made into a paste with water and then extruded into noodles and steamed into what resembles shirataki, or “white waterfall” in Japanese.

What are the top 5 Spiralize vegetables? ›

Try Spiralizing These 5 Vegetables
  1. Kohlrabi. Kohlrabi may look funny, but when eaten raw it has a refreshing flavor with a mild, peppery bite. ...
  2. Beets. I'll happily eat beets every which way, although I especially love them as noodles. ...
  3. Broccoli. ...
  4. Carrots. ...
  5. Sweet Potato.
May 1, 2019

Are noodles OK to eat everyday? ›

Eating a lot of noodles on a daily basis may not be the best choice for your health. While noodles can be a convenient and tasty option, they are often made from refined wheat flour and can lack important nutrients like fiber and protein.

What can I substitute for pasta noodles? ›

8 Low-Carb & Grain-Free Substitutes for Pasta
  • Zucchini. Zucchini is a popular noodle substitute because its texture makes it easy to spiral out into spaghetti-like shapes. ...
  • Cauliflower. ...
  • Spaghetti Squash. ...
  • Egg Noodles. ...
  • Cucumber. ...
  • Broccoli. ...
  • Eggplant. ...
  • Cabbage.

What is a vegetable alternative to pasta? ›

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash is an excellent pasta substitute. This starchy vegetable originated in North and Central America and has yellow-orange flesh. Once cooked, its flesh can be separated with a fork into strings which resemble spaghetti noodles — hence its name.

What veggie looks like strands of pasta? ›

Spaghetti squash (also known as vegetable spaghetti, noodle squash, spaghetti marrow in the United Kingdom, squaghetti, gold string melon in Japan or fish fin melon in China) is a winter squash—a cousin of butternut and acorn squash.

Do Miracle noodles taste like pasta? ›

The true test was on the taste; well... it taste like nothing really, no flavor whatsoever. As far as texture it resembles pasta in looks; however, if I had to describe it I would say is like a jellyfish tentacle (not that I have ever eating one, but how I imagine it to be), somewhat chewy and a little slimy.

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