MAKE YOUR OWN DEHYDRATED ZUCCHINI PASTA - Using JUST Zucchini!

One of the meals that my family enjoys is SPAGHETTI. Unfortunately, when there are family members who either have diabetes, or they're gluten intolerant, this can pose a problem.

Zucchini has come to the rescue!

Not only is Zucchini  healthier to eat than white flour, but there are ways to prepare it that will resemble the texture and appearance of noodles. As for taste, I find that it is much better than flour, because there is FLAVOR, and in the back of your mind, you know it's healthier :)

What I use to create the noodles is a SureSlice spiral slicer that I had purchased online at Amazon. I've also seen these at Walmart. Currently, you can purchase this on Amazon for less than $8 with free shipping if you have a Prime account.

With a twisting motion, you can get noodles well over 3-4 feet long!

Okay, so in the past, I would heat this in a skillet  (stir fry - not boil) and serve it like I would regular spaghetti noodles. The family enjoyed it! It looked like spaghetti, it tasted better than noodles, but in all honesty, there was a bit of a texture problem. I hate to say the word, "slimy" because it brings up a negative impression. It was a good kind of slimy. My daughter and I tend to enjoy our pasta a little on the firm side, and the Zucchini was more like overcooked pasta?

After discovering my dehydrator, I thought about the Zucchini pasta substitute. Was it possible I could dry these and store away like regular spaghetti noodles? I added the batch to the tray and whatever pieces that were leftover (from spiraling) I chopped into small pieces and added it to the tray.

I filled up the trays and the next morning it was completely dry and intact.

It had the texture and appearance of a bird's nest.

My family wasn't ready for a spaghetti dinner when I dried this, so I tucked it away in a freezer bag to keep the shape intact.

I'm ready to prepare this for spaghetti, but as I look at the results (this is 4 regular Zucchini's)
I realize that for 3 people, I could have probably used another Zucchini or two to create more pasta. But I will have to make do, and the next time I store away the "pasta" I will make sure to dry an abundance of Zucchini in advance and portion it to about 2 Zucchini's per person.

I gave it about 15 minutes to soak, and then I drained the excess water.

Adding a little oil to an iron skillet, I stir fried till it was heated up. Pictured is one serving size.

This is the result of a cooked plate of Zucchini pasta. Remember, this is DEHYDRATED ZUCCHINI PASTA - which means we can prepare this in advance and have stored away for years to come. Even better, healthier to eat, and no harmful preservatives.

For this batch, I created a quick and easy homemade spaghetti sauce by using a pound of grass fed ground beef,  and I added a handful of dehydrated bell peppers, some garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne powder. For tomato sauce, I added a canned variety that I have discovered from the grocery store that has NO ADDITIVES. you can find a picture of it here from another blog post of mine ------> It's called CENTO  Oh, and of course, play around with the sauce! I usually chop up fresh Basil and other herbs when available.

Pour over your bed of noodles and serve with a healthy salad. Pictured, I prepared a salad of Kale, Spinach, Green Onions, Feta Cheese, organic ranch dressing, and sunflower seeds. I sprinkled Parmesan over the spaghetti.

On a side note: When I dehydrate more "noodles" I plan to go ahead and store in a large mason jar. After stir frying this batch, it really didn't matter that the noodles maintained their length. I asked the family to give their honest opinion, and they agreed that the pasta tasted MUCH better than fresh -- not to mention, the texture was exactly like we loved!

So DEHDYRATED IT IS from here on out! :)