Zucchini Noodles with Pomodoro Chicken

Helga Glaesel de BlandingApril 15, 2015

This post is also available in / Esta entrada también está disponible en ESPAÑOL (SPANISH)

I finally got around to making these zucchini noodles. I’ve been eyeing the recipe for a long time, but every time I found a recipe and skimmed the procedure, I would find that after forming the noodles, when the zucchini is still raw, you have to pat them dry a few times going through a drying process before cooking them. I know it doesn’t seem like a lot to do, but I swear that part of the procedure alone made me not want to make them. Then I found this recipe, which does require you to get organized ahead of time, but you just have to follow a few steps and there’s not a lot of active work. The first step is tossing the noodles with salt and leaving them in a strainer for 30 minutes. This will make the zucchini sweat, getting rid of excess moisture so you don’t get mushy noodles when they are cooked. Those inactive 30 minutes are important to me… I can do other things, like drink a cup of coffee (yeah, right!), give my daughter a bath, answer some emails or get a load of laundry going. You get the idea. After the 30 minutes are up, you rinse them well to get rid of all the salt and then put them in the fridge for an hour or two, to dehydrate them further. This second step is optional, but I have always done it. You can stop at this step, and place your noodles in a sealed container so you have them ready whenever you want to cook them.

I’ve made this recipe 3 or 4 times already. I’ve tried them drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper, I’ve had them with tomato sauce and Parmesan on top, and now I tried them as a side dish to a quick pomodoro chicken that I whipped up. At first I thought they would tear, but they hold their shape pretty well, you can even twirl them with a fork and eat them as if they were grain noodles! If you’re looking to substitute pasta in your diet, or are just looking for a new way to serve zucchini then please try this recipe, you will be glad you did.

Helga

Zucchini Noodles with Pomodoro Chicken

Recipes by The Clothes Make the Girl and The Foodies’ Kitchen
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3-4 medium-large zucchinis
4 boneless chicken breasts
5 tomatoes, diced
1 white onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
4 fresh oregano leaves (I used fresh oregano from Fidelito, my cuban oregano plant)
½ cup tomato sauce
½ cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup of fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Special equipment: Julienne Peeler

Procedure, for the Zucchini Noodles:

Julienne your zucchini. See the video below to help you.
Place the julienned zucchini in a colander or wire strainer and toss generously with salt until the strands are lightly coated. Allow the zucchini to sit for 20-30 minutes to remove excess water. Rinse with running water, drain well, and give them a quick pat with paper towels. Now you have two choices: got directly to step 3 or… for absolutely al dente noodles that do not get mushy, return the noodles to the colander and place in the fridge, uncovered, for 1-2 hours. This allows the strands to dehydrate even further.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add the prepared zucchini noodles. Sauté them in the dry pan until just tender, about 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and drizzle the olive oil over the noodles, stirring gently to coat the strands. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Procedure, for the Pomodoro Chicken:

Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Use a pan that has a lid.
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to hot pan and place the chicken breasts on the pan to let them brown about 3 minutes per side.
Add the diced onions, tomatoes and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, lower heat to medium and let them cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, water and fresh oregano and cover the pan to let the flavors combine. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. At the last-minute, add the chopped fresh cilantro.
Serve over a bed of zucchini noodles, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.