Courgetti/Zoodles!!

So courgetti (or zoodles as the americans know them as)! Just over a year ago I gave this my first go with a bit of courgette tagliatelle - it was good but I knew then that I needed either a julienne peeler or a spiralizer to make it really compare to real pasta. Over the past year I have looked at these on Amazon more times than I can remember but for some reason never actually ordered one. And last week in Dunnes there was the julienne peeler I have been double checking for in every shop for the past year!

They are selling these for €5 in Dunnes Stores and it also comes with a regular peeler and a delicate fruit peeler, so its not bad value. So what does it do that makes it so special. It basically peels long strips of courgette (or any veg) that resemble spaghetti. I know I will be using mine primarily for this reason but can be used on any veg for all sorts of different salads and stir frys too, so if you do pick one up you will get a lot of use out of it. 

My courgette was a little thinner on top so it was a little tricky to get even strips but I did get the hang of it. You want to work the whole length of the courgette to make sure you get long spaghetti type strips that you can twist around your fork like real spaghetti. When you have your courgetti prepared, all it needs is a couple of minutes in a hot frying pan with some spray oil & seasoning to soften it slightly and you are ready to serve with your sauce. You really don't want to cook it too long or it will turn to mush. These are perfect for a low carb day, or if you are really hungry and want to bulk out regular pasta like I did last night. It will go with pretty much any pasta sauce and is so easy.

Last night I wasn't home from work until after 8:30pm and I was craving quick and easy comfort food. I knew I needed a lot of food when I came home so it was perfect time to crack out some courgetti. The sauce I served this with is so simple and I mixed my courgetti with about 40g of wholewheat pasta. This was all free on simple start or filling and healthy and the sauce is only 4pp if you are counting (3pp if you replace the oil with spray oil). 

Serves 1

SmartPoints per serve: 4

SmartPoints on No Count: 0

Propoints: 4pp

Ingredients:

5 mushrooms sliced

2 small garlic cloves crushed

3 bacon medallions chopped

3 tbsp tinned chopped tomatoes

1/2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp olive oil*

2 tbsp quark

Fresh Basil

Salt & Pepper

Heat the oil in a small frying pan and add the bacon pieces. Cook for 1-2 minutes before adding the mushrooms. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes and add in the garlic and chopped tomatoes. Stir through the tomato puree and season to taste. Simmer over a low heat for 4-5 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Add this to your cooked courgetti or pasta and return to the heat to ensure it is warmed through. Just before serving mix through the basil and quark to make a thick creamy sauce.  

Super easy, for those days when cooking seems like a chore!