I bought myself a new kitchen tool, a mandolin, and put it to use right away with our newest squash use – Zoodles!

Zucchini noodles, or “Zoodles,” aren’t a new thing, and they’re certainly not difficult.  All you do is slice zucchini on your thinnest julienne setting on a mandolin.  Some recipes recommend using them raw, but I cooked these.  After I had sliced all the squash, about 6 small zucchini and yellow squash, I heated a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and sauteed the noodles until they were tender, about 10 minutes.  From there, I added prepared marinara sauce, meatballs I had frozen previously, and parm.  The whole meal came together in the same amount of time as a normal spaghetti meal.  Yes, it was less than gourmet, but the zoodles and meatballs meal was a hit.  The zucchini noodles take on a similar texture to al dente pasta, but with significantly fewer calories and substantially more healthy stuff.  I recommend this technique should you find yourself in possession of a mandolin, a few minutes, and an abundance of summer squashes.