In an age where spaghetti squash is popping up on the menus of Italian restaurants and sweet potatoes are subbing for tortilla chips in nacho dishes, it's perfectly acceptable for zucchini and carrots to masquerade as pasta. And why not? The texture of the veggies might not be identical, but they have an al dente quality that might not fool you into think you're enjoying a plate of fettucini, but can make you forget to care.
The one issue with a bed of zucchini noodles or carrot spirals? The fact that you have to toil over your Veggetti or other crafty kitchen tool in order to make them.
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At least, that's how things used to be. Thanks to Trader Joe's (a sentence I type quite often), your beloved zoodles and carrot spirals are now easier to acquire than ever.
Trader Joe's now sells both Carrot Spirals and Zucchini Spirals in the frozen food section, right near your microwavable corndogs and frozen pizzas. It's exactly the thing any busy person needs in order to get their veggies on the plate.
Oh, and if the plate also happens to be covered in parmesan cheese? Believe me, I won't judge.
I tested out the zucchini spirals, and I can tell you that they really are the easiest, healthiest meal you can cook in 10 minutes. There are about a million different ways you can serve the "pasta," but I, personally, suggest working with the zucchini flavor. You know how tasty zucchini fries are when coated in parmesan cheese? A little bit goes a long way with these zoodles — or, rather, zirals.
As for the carrots, Trader Joe's official website suggests adding the store's Three Cheese Pomodoro Sauce, butter and grated cheese, or a little more olive oil with salt & pepper.
Really, though, you can't go too wrong here. Keep a few of these in the back of your freezer, and you'll never feel like you're hurting for a good veggie-centric dish.
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