What would you say if I told you that here’s a spaghetti recipe that actually might help you lose weight? Yes, here’s a recipe that you can gorge on without feeling guilty. On a diet? Go ahead without any guilt. Intolerant to gluten? No problem! Vegan? It’s just for you. It’s a magic recipe that is at once tasty and healthful. This spaghetti is not just made of Zucchini; it is Zucchini in all its glory!
Health benefits
Zucchini is a wonder food. Here are some of its health benefits.
- Helps lower cholesterol: The high-fibre content in zucchini helps in lowering the bad [HDL] cholesterol.
- Improves eye health: Its close cousin, cucumber is beneficial for reducing puffiness around the eyes. Similarly, zucchini when used externally helps to remove the puffy bags that develop around the eyes due to water retention.
- Awesome for the heart: Zucchini contains good amounts of potassium that helps reduce blood pressure.
So let’s get started.
Serves 3-4 persons
Ingredients
- Zucchini – 1 large or 2 medium
- Tomatoes – 600 g
- Tofu – 100 g
- Onion – 1 medium size
- Aubergine – 100 g
- Tomato Ketchup – 1 tbsp
- Chilli powder – 2 tsp
- Garlic – 5 cloves
- Rosemary – 1 tsp dry rosemary (optional)
- Oregano – 1 tsp dry oregano
- Basil – few fresh leaves (optional)
- Olive Oil – 1 tbsp (use olive oil which is suitable for cooking)
- Salt to taste
Preparation method
Boil the tomatoes for 10 minutes. Once cooled puree the tomatoes along with some garlic and salt. Strain the puree and it’s ready for use. You can also use canned tomato puree.- In the meanwhile start to cut the zucchini into flat slabs lengthwise. After this slice the slabs lengthwise into long and thin strands to resemble noodles. Soak the zucchini noodles in hot water with 1 tsp of salt for 10-15 mins. They should be soft but still crunchy. Drain the water properly and your noodles are ready.
- Chop the onions, aubergine and tofu into small pieces. Sauté them in the oil for 10 mins.
- Once the vegetables and tofu are sautéed, throw in the spices to this.
- Finally add the tomato puree and tomato ketchup. If you are using ready puree from a can do not add the ketchup. Cook on medium flame for 10 mins.
- Serve the noodles topped with this flavorful vegan aubergine-tofu arabiatta sauce.
I learnt this recipe from an Italian friend who used traditional tomato sauce made by her grand mother. I definitely cannot beat that sauce, however I did make some variations of my own. The aubergine adds a wonderful flavour and for the noodles I sometimes use carrots as well. The trick is to use a peeler to grate the carrot to make flat noodles or tagliatelle style noodles. They look beautiful and taste amazing. You can also use a spiralizer to make spaghetti from vegetables.
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