Swoon-Worthy Spiralizer Recipes You Need to Try

January 05, 2016
Photo: Anna Williams
Spiralizing is an awesome and entertaining way to get fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet without incorporating complicated and calorie-heavy ingredients. Anything that gets you excited about cooking is worth some buzz, and we have some “in-spiralizing” ideas to get you started on this spiral sensation.
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Yellow Squash Pasta with Caramelized Lemon

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Yellow Squash Pasta with Caramelized Lemon

Look for lemons with thinner skins (smoother, shinier skins are often thinner); you'll get a nice citrus hit with each bite, but charring the slices softens the flavor so it's not overpowering. Serve right after tossing everything together, as the squash will start to wilt.

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Spaghetti and Meatballs

Photo: Greg Dupree
View Recipe: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Our virtuous makeover of everyone’s favorite family-night dinner will send you racing to the dinner table. A hearty bowl of spaghetti and meatballs is as ubiquitous as it is timeless, though this Sunday supper can pack over 2,000mg sodium and 12g sat fat into a single serving. Our veggie-loaded version saves 450 calories, 8g sat fat, and 1,400mg sodium over the traditional recipe. Shiitake mushrooms amp up the meaty texture and umami flavor of meatballs, stretching 1 pound of beef across 8 servings. For a punch of fiber and a boost of nutrients, mix zucchini noodles with whole-wheat spaghetti. Bonus: One serving of our comfort food classic contains 11⁄2 cups of vegetables.

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Spiralized Puttanesca

Photo: Rachel Johnson
View Recipe: Spiralized Puttanesca

Spiralized sweet potatoes make for a hearty pasta replacement in this fresh feeling paleo meal. Puttanesca is an ultra-savory Italian pasta dish that typically consists of capers, anchovies, olives, tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil. In this iteration, fresh tomatoes meet their salty match for a hearty, dairy-free pasta dish that's light on calories and heavy on flavor. For a vegetarian option, leave out the anchovies and use vegetable broth instead of chicken.

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Elote-Style Zucchini Noodles

Photo: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Elote-Style Zucchini Noodles

Elote is the Mexican street food of your dreams: a grilled ear of corn dressed with mayo, chile powder, crumbly queso fresco, and a squeeze of lime. We translate the dish into a fresh zucchini noodle salad (trust us, you won’t be bored of abundant summer squash with this recipe). If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can use a julienne peeler. You could also cut the squash into thin planks and then slice into thin strips.

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Thai Sweet Potato Noodle Bowls

Photo: Greg Dupree
View Recipe: Thai Sweet Potato Noodle Bowls

Add fresh curry paste to canned coconut milk and nut butter, and you have an instant, wonderfully complex satay sauce. Use as a dip, in stir-fries, or drizzled on this gluten-free veggie bowl. If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can use a julienne peeler or the shredding blade of your food processor. The sweet potato noodles will look like too much for the skillet but will shrink considerably as they cook. If using store-bought curry paste, start with 2 teaspoons, as it is much higher in sodium than fresh.

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Spiralized Beet and Butternut Squash Noodles with Parsley Pesto

Photo: Rachel Johnson
View Recipe: Spiralized Beet and Butternut Squash Noodles with Parsley Pesto

What's better than roasted beets? Spiralized beets, duh! The nifty gadget turns beets and butternut squash into twirly noodles tossed in a delightful herby sauce. 

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Cashew Cream Pad Thai

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Cashew Cream Pad Thai

Thanks to the nifty spiralizer, raw vegetable "oodles" can be cranked out in a jiff. Packed with plant-based ribbons, whole grains, cabbage, peas, nuts, and herbs, this version of Pad Thai is satisfying and refreshingly raw, saving 400 calories over the classic. 

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Chili-Cheese Spiralizer Fries

Photo: Rachel Johnson
View Recipe: Chili-Cheese Spiralizer Fries

Creating these fabulously decadent—but still light—spiralized fries for a quick weeknight dinner. Taking any guilty pleasure and transforming it into a calorie-friendly option is always a good idea. Feel free to play with your chili recipe or use any leftovers from the night before.

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Chicken Parmesan Over Zucchini Noodles

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken Parmesan Over Zucchini Noodles

Enjoy a lighter pasta for your favorite weeknight meal with zucchini noodles. They add a punch of fiber, and a boost of nutrients to this classic dish in just two additional minutes.

Make this cheesy chicken dish part of your Cooking Light DIET meal plan. Sign up today.

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Spiralized Summer Squash Frittata with Parmesan

Photo: Rachel Johnson
View Recipe: Spiralized Summer Squash Frittata with Parmesan

Summer squashes like zucchini and crookneck are now available almost year round in most parts of the country, but if you can’t find any zucchini, feel free to substitute carrots or parsnips, or maybe bell peppers and beets. The best thing about eggs is that they highlight many different flavor combinations, so feel free to mix and match.

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Spiralized Butternut Squash Toast with Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Seeds

Photo: Rachel Johnson
View Recipe: Spiralized Butternut Squash Toast with Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Seeds

Toasted bread is a great vehicle to get veggies and protein-packed ingredients, from avocado to almond butter, into your diet. Spiralizing butternut squash makes it easy to top toast, and paired with creamy goat cheese and fresh pomegranate seeds, it makes for a supreme salty-sweet combination. Feel free to substitute whole grain bread or sprouted breads for another option.

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Spiralized Apple and Fennel Salad With Wheat Berries

Photo: Rachel Johnson
View Recipe: Spiralized Apple and Fennel Salad With Wheat Berries

This dinner will be as tasty to the taste buds as it is to the eyes. Wheat berries take a bit of time to cook (about 30 minutes), so make them on the weekend when you have a little more simmer time. Then, use them throughout the week for fast dinner and lunches.

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Carrot Ribbon Salad with Lavender-Ricotta Dressing

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Carrot Ribbon Salad with Lavender-Ricotta Dressing

Pour a homemade dressing of ricotta cheese, buttermilk, lemon rind, lemon juice, and honey over carrot ribbons to make this simply delicious salad.

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Spiralizer Hash Browns

Photo: Rachel Johnson
View Recipe: Spiralizer Hash Browns

Simple, easy, and wonderfully crisp: the trifecta that makes these hash browns superior. A little cornstarch is the trick for crisping up the exterior.

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Spiralized Sweet Potato Noodles

Photo: Rebecca Longshore
View Recipe: Spiralized Sweet Potato Noodles

Smoky bacon and earthy Brussels sprouts unite to bring a punch of flavor and texture to this naturally sweet veg. Add a couple of cashews for a touch of crunch, and you’ve got a healthy main course meal that feels just as decadent and satisfying as your average pasta dish.

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Parsnip Ribbons with Miso Vinaigrette

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Parsnip Ribbons with Miso Vinaigrette

A little sweet, a little salty, a bit of toasty, and a touch of tang—the makings of a grade-A salad.

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Zucchini Noodles Tossed in a Cilantro-Avocado Pesto

Photo: Rebecca Longshore
View Recipe: Zucchini Noodles Tossed in a Cilantro-Avocado Pesto

Enjoy zucchini raw and tossed in a creamy cilantro-avocado pesto sauce. This basic recipe—a lighter play on pasta salad—is versatile, welcoming any veggies you like.

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Beet Ribbon Salad with Lemon and Pickled Shallots

Photo: Cary Norton
View Recipe: Beet Ribbon Salad with Lemon and Pickled Shallots

This salad contrasts the sweet, earthy taste of the beets with tangy-sweet, aromatic pickled shallots and a lemony vinaigrette. You can make the pickled shallots first thing in the morning or up to a day ahead.

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Herby Cucumber Salad

Photo: Romulo Yanes
View Recipe: Herby Cucumber Salad

This simple creamy cucumber salad comes together in a flash. The yogurt-based dressing is packed with fresh dill, parsley, and mint for a seasonal taste. Don't make the salad ahead—the cucumbers will release too much water.

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Shaved Summer Squash Salad with Prosciutto Crisps

Photo: Anna Williams
View Recipe: Shaved Summer Squash Salad with Prosciutto Crisps

A vegetable peeler turns squash into delicate ribbons, a foil for the salty ham. It's delicious raw when it’s shaved and marinated with a bit of salt.

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