Zoodles with Mushroom Bolognese

I’m probably not alone in feeling like I could probably live off of pasta, if it were good for me, but I know it’s not so I try not to eat it too often.  And along with pasta, of course, come some great sauces, like marinara, Bolognese, pesto, etc.—all of which I crave quite often.  Hearing about zoodles was an amazing discovery for me.  It allowed me to indulge in my cravings without polluting my body.  While there is a definite difference between actual noodles and zucchini noodles, zucchini noodles make a great alternative to actual noodles and the sauces that accompany them because zucchini has a very subtle flavor, like noodles, and take on the flavor of whatever sauce accompanies them very well.  There is also some similarity in the texture of the two—the texture of zoodles is somewhat comparable to al dente noodles.  If you aren’t into the idea of making noodles out of zucchini, or you don’t want to bother with a spiralizer, you can always make this sauce with whatever pasta you choose.  

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 10 plum tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 16 ounce package of white mushrooms, diced into half inch cubes
• ½ a white onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup red wine
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 10-12 fresh basil leaves
• 5-7 zucchini, depending on size

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add plum tomatoes to the pot and boil for approximately 5 minutes, until the skin of the tomatoes splits.  Turn off heat and let tomatoes rest in the pot until they become cool enough to handle.
2. In the meantime, chop mushrooms, onions and garlic.
3. Heat a medium pan over medium heat.   Add olive oil, mushrooms, onion, salt and pepper and sauté until the mushrooms shrink and darken and onions become translucent, approximately 7 minutes. 
4. While the mushrooms and onions are cooking, remove tomatoes from pot, using tongs, and peel off their skin.  Transfer tomatoes to a blender and puree until smooth. 
5. Add garlic to pan of onions and mushrooms and sauté for another two minutes. 
6. Add tomato puree, red wine, oregano, and parsley to the pan and reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer for approximately 45 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and become a rich burgundy color. 
7. While the sauce is cooking, prepare the zoodles by peeling the zucchini and spiralizing them.  If you don’t have a spiralizer and don’t want to buy one, you can use a julienne peeler or cut the zucchini into very thin slices long ways and then cut each slice into thin strips once again.
8. Stack basil leaves on top of one another and roll them up together.  Thinly slice the roll of basil leaves to make long thin strips.  When sauce is finished cooking, remove from heat and stir in the fresh basil. 
9. Place zoodles in a bowl and spoon sauce over them.  The sauce will warm the zoodles.  Serve and Enjoy!