To shake up the vegetable routine, use your noodle

  • By Ellie Krieger Special to the Washington Post
  • Tuesday, April 14, 2015 3:11pm
  • Life

Many vegetables are easily noodled: Spaghetti squash, once cooked, inherently forms tender, thin strands you can twirl onto your dinner fork; zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise, becomes long, wide ribbons; and, with the help of one of those “as seen on TV” spiral slicers, just about any root vegetable from beets to turnips can take the shape of pasta.

It’s a fun and practical way to shake up the usual vegetable routine. Raw vegetable noodles cook in minutes, thanks to their increased surface area. You can prep them a day in advance, so they make for an easy weeknight dish. You can’t go wrong simply sauteing them in a skillet with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add a handful of fresh herbs or a squeeze of lemon for an extra layer of aroma and flavor.

Or take the pasta concept more literally and toss cooked vegetable ribbons with tomato sauce or pesto. You also can combine generous amounts of vegetable “pasta” with regular noodles for a heaping main course that’s more healthfully balanced than the typical pasta dinner.

Asparagus is easily “pasta-fied” with a standard vegetable peeler. Here, inspired by of one of my most-craved spaghetti dishes, I toss the quickly cooked ribbons with garlicky toasted bread crumbs for a vegetable side dish that has decadent richness and unforgettable appeal.

Asparagus ‘pasta’ with garlicky bread crumbs

1piece whole-grain bread (1 1/2 ounces)

2medium cloves garlic, minced

2tablespoons olive oil

1/4teaspoon kosher salt

2bunches thick asparagus spears (about 1 1/2 pounds total)

1/8teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Make ahead: The asparagus may be prepped (before cooking) up to 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Tear the bread (including the crust) into pieces, letting them fall into a food processor. Pulse to form fine crumbs. Transfer to a medium skillet, along with the garlic and 1/2 tablespoon of the oil. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the crumbs are browned and crisped a bit. Season with half of the salt; remove from the heat.

Cut off and reserve the asparagus tips. Hold an asparagus stem by its woody end; resting the stalk on top of a cutting board, use a vegetable peeler to peel the tender part of the stalk into long, thin strips. Discard the woody stem. Repeat with each asparagus stalk.

Heat the remaining 11/2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the shaved asparagus and the tips; cook, stirring gently, until slightly wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and the remaining salt and the pepper.

Sprinkle with the crisped bread crumbs and the parsley; toss, and serve right away.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition 5/8 Per serving: 120 calories, 4g protein, 11g carbohydrates, 7g fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 100mg sodium, 4g dietary fiber, 3g sugar.

Ellie Krieger’s most recent cookbook is “Weeknight Wonders: Delicious Healthy Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013). She blogs and offers a weekly newsletter at www.elliekrieger.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

A stroll on Rome's ancient Appian Way is a kind of time travel. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves on the Appian Way, Rome’s ancient superhighway

Twenty-nine highways fanned out from Rome, but this one was the first and remains the most legendary.

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Inside Elle Marie Hair Studio in Smokey Point. (Provided by Acacia Delzer)
The best hair salon in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied. Here are the results.

The 2024 Kia EV9 electric SUV has room for up to six or seven passengers, depending on seat configuration. (Photo provided by Kia)
Kia’s all-new EV9 electric SUV occupies rarified air

Roomy three-row electric SUVs priced below 60 grand are scarce.

2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD (Photo provided by Toyota)
2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD

The compact SUV electric vehicle offers customers the ultimate flexibility for getting around town in zero emission EV mode or road-tripping in hybrid mode with a range of 440 miles and 42 mile per gallon fuel economy.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.