Recipes & Photography by Ali Maffucci, creator of The Inspiralizer® and inspiralized.com
If you’re still using a regular carrot peeler to make zucchini noodles,
you need to get your hands on a spiralizer.
Whether you’re celiac, low-carb, or just trying to sneak more produce into your diet, this genius gadget (we like The Inspiralizer), instantly transforms fruit and vegetables into grain-free “pasta” you can top with delicious things — and we aren’t talking about plain ol’ tomato sauce.
Here are three easy, healthy and gorgeous meal ideas to take your veggie pasta to the next level.
Tuscan Kale and Sausage Ragu with Butternut Squash Fettuccine
Prep time: 20 min • Total time: 1 hour 20 min • Makes 4 servings
• .75 pound spicy Italian sausage, de-cased and crumbled
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (28 ounce) can Tuttorosso Peeled Plum Tomatoes – No Salt Added
• 1.5 Tbsp tomato paste
• ¼ cup red wine (or beef broth)
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 cups chopped Tuscan kale
• 1 cup canned white beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 medium butternut squash
• olive oil, to drizzle
• fresh basil, to garnish
• parmesan cheese, to garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Place a large pot over medium heat and add in the sausage. Crumble the sausage further with a wooden spoon and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Then, add in the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes and let cook for 2-3 minutes or until onions turn translucent.
3. Using your hands, crush the tomatoes over the pot. Using a wooden spoon, further crush the tomatoes so that no large chunks remain. Then, add in the tomato paste, wine (or broth), basil, oregano, bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low to a simmer. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until reduced by half and then stir in the kale and beans. Cook for another 5 minutes or until kale wilts and sauce is thick like a ragu.
4. Peel and spiralize the butternut squash, using Blade B. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the butternut squash noodles.
5. Drizzle with olive oil and massage it into the squash with your hands. Once you add the kale to the ragu, season with salt and pepper and roast for 8-10 minutes or until cooked to al dente.
6. Divide the butternut squash noodles into bowls and top with the ragu, making sure to discard the bay leaf. Garnish with basil and Parmesan cheese.
Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 577, Fat: 28 g, Carbs: 52 g
Protein: 27 g, Fiber: 12 g
Vegetarian Lemongrass Green Curry Soup with Zucchini Noodles
Prep Time: 15 mins • Total Time: 35 mins • Makes 2 servings
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
(or virgin coconut oil)
• 1 lemongrass stalk, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp minced ginger
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp Thai green curry paste
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• ½ cup water
• 1.5oz mushrooms of choice (a large handful)
• 2oz snow peas
• 2oz baby bok choy, chopped in 3″ pieces
• 1/3 cup diced scallions
• ½ cup small-cubed tofu
• 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 large zucchini or 2 medium zucchinis, Blade C
• salt and pepper, to taste
1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add in the lemongrass, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and green curry paste. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the broth and water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add in the mushrooms, snow peas, bok choy, scallions, tofu, lime juice and zucchini noodles.
3. Let cook for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Once tender, add in the cilantro, season generously with salt and pepper and stir to combine and serve into bowls.
Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 178, Fat: 8 g, Carbs: 18 g
Protein: 11 g, Fiber: 5 g
Scallop and Apple Noodle Spinach Salad with Spiced Walnuts
Prep time: 15 mins • Total time: 25 mins • Makes 3 servings
For the walnuts:
• ½ Tbsp maple syrup
• ⅛ tsp cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp cayenne
• salt, to taste
• ¼ cup whole walnuts
For the dressing:
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• salt and pepper, to taste
• ½ tsp dijon mustard
For the salad:
• 1 green apple
• 3 oz baby spinach
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6 large scallops
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup with the cinnamon, cayenne and season lightly with salt. It should create a paste. Add the walnuts into the mixture. Stir to combine thoroughly.
2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Lay the dressed walnuts out on the parchment paper and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Let the walnuts cool for at least 5 minutes before you use them in the rest of the recipe (they will become less sticky the longer they sit.)
3. While the walnuts cook, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing. Taste and adjust to your preferences. Set aside. Spiralize the apple with Blade C and place in a large mixing bowl along with the spinach. Set aside.
4. Once the walnuts are cooling out of the oven, place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the oil. While oil heats, season the scallops with salt and pepper. Once oil heats, add the scallops to the pan, cook for 1-2 minutes (or until golden brown on the bottom) and flip over, cooking another 1-2 minutes or until both sides are golden brown. Then, add the lemon juice to the pan, coating the scallops with the juice.
5. While scallops cook, pour the dressing over the greens and apple noodles. Toss together to combine and divide into two plates.
6. When scallops are done, divide onto plates and then garnish with walnuts. Serve immediately.
Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 298, Fat: 21 g, Carbs: 16 g
Protein: 15 g, Fiber: 3 g
