Zucchini Noodle Spaghetti with Farm Stand Tomato & Meat Sauce
The “Farm Stand Tomato Sauce” from my last post is getting a lot of love in this household. So much so that we’re freezing another batch tonight after farm chores. It’s perfect for quick weeknight dinners and really jazzed up our zucchini noodles for this recipe. We added some local mushrooms to the sauce from our friends at Columbia Mushroom to bulk things up a bit more and make this a heartier meal. It’s gotten quite cold here (lows in the mid 40’s) so we’re hunkering down in the evenings in sweatshirts, wool hats, and socks. We may even fire up the wood stove soon. Can’t believe it’s that time of the year again!
Anyhow, this dish is a lovely way to celebrate the cooler weather with what’s left of the summer bounty. Zucchini noodles have been our savior during the Local Thirty and I’m actually going to try and freeze a bunch so we can have them this winter. Have any of you done that yet? Not sure how well they’ll freeze but any tips are welcome!
Alrighty, I hope wherever you all are that you’re enjoying the flavors of the late summer season.
Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm
Zucchini Noodle Spaghetti with Farm Stand Tomato & Meat Sauce
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Serves: 4
- 1 pound ground beef-- 83 miles
- 1 tablespoon unlisted butter-- 81 miles
- 1 cup mix mushrooms -- 12 miles
- 3 cups of Farm Stand Tomato Sauce
- salt to taste-- 157 miles
- ground black pepper-- Mileage unknown
- 3-4 medium sized zucchini-- 0 miles
- freshly grated cheese-- 39 miles
- plenty of minced parsley for serving-- 0 miles
Preparation
- In a large cast iron skillet, brown your beef over medium heat and use a wooden spoon to break it up. Cook until no longer pink. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Add the butter to the pan and once melted add your mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 6 minutes. Add your tomato sauce and the beef back to the pan and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the flavors have a chance to blend together, about 20 minutes. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
- While the sauce simmers use a spiralizer to make your zucchini noodles. Add your zucchini noodles to the pan and let them heat through for about 5 minutes. Add plenty of freshly grated cheese and parsley and enjoy.
Notes
*Use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary
I wish I had tips on the zucchini. I’ve tried freezing grated and sliced zucchini and not had much luck! If you figure out something that works , please do share. I’m always perplexed when people complain about zucchini, my husband and I could happily eat it all year long!
I am going to try drying my remaining zucchini as noodles rather than freezing. Zucchini holds a lot of water and that’s why it’s mushy when it thaws.
I’m not sure zucchini noodles would freeze well. It seems like the water content that can be a problem when cooking them would also be problem with freezing. I think you’re likely to end up with mush. I envy you your cooler weather. Our daytime temps are still in the upper 90s, with nights around 70… We will probably stay pretty warm through October.
I’ve done this thing where I first salt the sliced zucchini and let it sit 1/2 hour on a towel, then blot the moisture, then dehydrate until it is about half-dry, then freeze it. I just add it to sautés or soups; the texture is wonderfully chewy. Could be interesting to try it with zoodles.
Thanks for the amazing tip!!!