If there was ever something to miss about going carb-free, it's pasta. Is it that satisfying toothsome-ness, the twirling of long strands, or the way dinner comes together in a flash? My husband missed eating pasta even more than me, so when my Mom found this thing called the spiralizer, I just had to borrow it.

This hand-crank machine makes quick work of zucchini, carrots and potatoes. It also comes with three blades, but I haven't gotten much beyond the smaller shredding blade. Once I had these delicious zucchini noodles (aka zoodles), I wanted easy access to them ALL of the time. I experimented with how best to freeze zoodles and then gently reheat them. Now you have easy low carb dinner in a snap! Here’s everything YOU need to know to freeze and reheat zoodles for dinner.

How to Freeze Zucchini "Noodles"

Ingredients

4 large zucchinis (or 8 small ones)
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Directions

I experimented with the zucchini "noodles" and, how best to freeze them in single serving bags. Spiralize your zucchinis using a spiralizer (or you can shred a zucchini on the widest setting of a hand shredder). Then place the spiralized vegetable into a colander and add the kosher salt. Gently stir in the kosher salt and let the zucchini drain at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to draw out the excess moisture. Place the drained zucchini into individual serving-sized storage bags in the freezer until ready to serve. My single serving size is approximately a cup and a half. Make sure you press the zoodles into one flat layer for easier reheating.

I found that salting the zucchini produces a better texture that holds up to heartier pasta sauces.

Note: Of course, instead of freezing these "noodles" you may want to eat them immediately. You can skip the salting stage and simply saute in olive oil or butter and top with your favorite sauce.

To Reheat the "noodles"

To reheat the noodles, I removed the single-serving of my zoodles into a handled strainer basket (see first picture above), and hold it in boiling water for 1 minute, until just heated through (if you have trouble removing the zoodles from your ziploc bag, run them under running water to loosen). I picked up this strainer at my local Asian food market. I then drop the regular wheat pasta into the boiling water for my husband and son.

Turkey sausage and roasted tomato "zucchini pasta"

Pan-seared salmon, wilted arugula, garlic and pine nut zucchini "pasta"

I love having so many options at my fingertips. I also love being able to stick to my diet and still give my guys the pasta they want. And, with just a little bit of prep work, I can stock my freezer with as many 30 minute meals as I can stand. Zucchini "noodles" are a win-win in my book.