Zucchini Noodles with Carmelized Onions, Mushrooms and Baby Spinach
Okay guys. You’re super lucky today. Two recipes for the price of one! If you look at the previous post, I’ve got an amazing sauce recipe for you. I didn’t quite know what to do with it so I came up with this combo and it WORKED!
I was craving an Italian inspired dinner and didn’t want the extra calories from a carb laden pasta base. I decided to go lighter here, ditch the pasta and use zucchini noodles instead! Oh, and I found ready made zucchini noodles at my local supermarket. I mean, I can made my own but why bother when someone else has the time to spiral things for me.
This recipe not only tastes good but it smells AHMAZING while you’re cooking it. It’s hard to ignore the heavenly aroma wafting from the garlic, onions and mushrooms while they sauté in butter and olive oil. Why is this such the perfect Italian dinner? Well. It’s because it will satisfy all the cravings that you would have in a big ol’ bowl of pasta. with much less carbs and calories. I felt better about eating it and so did Steve. I’m going to venture to say that the kids would love this too and if you add an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese it’s even BETTER.
HOW TO COOK ZUCCHINI NOODLES:
Make sure you don’t overcook the zucchini it will get soggy and basically disintegrate into mush. Basically, you just want to heat them up. I would suggest cooking them for about one to two minutes. This is awesome for two reasons. It’s QUICK AND EASY. My two favourite things when it comes to cooking. BOOOM!
So, did I mention my sudden obsession with wine? Never being a drinker, there are basically two wines that I will imbibe – Sweet and Sweeter. Pretty embarrassing to admit to all wine connoisseurs out there but it is what it is. I’m into mostly bubbly stuff like a good MOSCATO – This one is my fave and it’s called Bartenura. And, the other night when we were out for dinner, the server suggested this Zinfandel and I was like “WOAH this is really tasty”. Steve isn’t thrilled about my sudden switch from cranberry juice and soda to wine, but I’m of the belief that you have to try new things even if it JACKS UP THE BILL.
Anyway, back to the reason I’m talking about wine. I love this dish because it’s not loaded with all the calories and it’s still super satisfying. Adding a glass of wine to this meal made it complete. I actually felt like a “big girl” for the first time in my life sitting down with my glass of booze and a plate of food.
And the good news was……reaching for seconds of this dish didn’t make me feel guilty AT ALL. This is a super quick and easy Italian inspired “faux” pasta dinner for any night of the week! Ready to get your ZOODLES on? Let’s do this.
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed or extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 package sliced cremini mushrooms
- ½ large sweet onion, diced
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons white wine
- 1 package zucchini noodles or spiralize two - three small zucchini
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
- 1 recipe Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Sauce - see previous post for details
- Add butter and one tablespoon of the oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat to medium high. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about a minute or two). Add onions, mushrooms, kosher salt, pepper and saute until nicely browned and the liquid from the mushrooms is evaporated (About five minutes).
- Reduce the heat to medium low, add white wine, cover with a lid, and continue to cook, stirring the onions every 10-15 minutes or so.
- Remove mixture from the pan and set aside. Add one tablespoon of oil and saute zucchini noodles until they soften, about two minutes.
- Add the onion/mushroom mixture back to the pan and toss with the zucchini noodles. Add the baby spinach and cook for about one minute just to wilt the leaves. Add sauce, toss and serve immediately. Garnish with vegan parmesan cheese or regular parmesan if you're not vegan.
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So happy you enjoyed it ! xx
Mine was without onions but delicious !👍