When I discovered this carrot noodle idea a few years ago, it was like the skies opened up and angels sang down to me. There’s nothing that sounds better to me than a giant plate of pasta for lunch on a chilly day. Of course, that much pasta is usually a bit much for me, leaving me feeling full and sleepy for the afternoon, which is not ideal. And then of course, if it’s white pasta I’m eating, then that’s obviously not the healthiest choice either. Even though whole grain pastas are usually considered a healthier choice, these carrot noodles are even better and just as comforting and satisfying! What’s better for you than a whole plate of vegetables? A whole plate of vegetables that makes you feel warm and cozy and happy, that’s what! 🙂
I usually consider carrot pasta noodles to be kind of the cool-season version of zucchini noodles, or “zoodles” as they’re often called. During the cooler months, you can usually find big bags of carrots for very little money at the grocery store and those are perfect for making these noodles!
The way these are made couldn’t be simpler. It’s almost so simple it seems silly to share this idea in a blog post, however I feel like I must share this idea! It’s my civic responsibility! If you’re a pasta lover who’s trying to eat healthier then this idea might be as exciting for you as it was for me when I first figured it out. If you’ve never heard of this idea, then you’ve maybe never thought of it either, and it would be a shame for you to miss out just because I never spilled the beans. 🙂
So here’s what you do!
Start with a large carrot or two. You can even do more at once and store these “noodles” in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for a few days. This makes a great “One Red Lid” method meal option too, by the way! A carrot or two will make a full plate of noodles though if you just want to make enough for one meal.
Cut the ends off of your carrot(s), use a veggie peeler to remove the outer peel and throw all of that in the compost bin.
Using your veggie peeler again, start peeling large strips of carrot into a bowl or onto a plate. This will make nice, wide strips of noodle. You can use a julienne peeler if you’d like thinner “noodles”. Keep peeling until you can peel no more and then rotate the carrot to find another angle to peel from. Peel, peel, peel, until you only have a little stub of carrot left and you can’t get any more noodles off of it. Eat that last little stub of carrot! Repeat this with any other carrots if you’re doing more than one. Now you have a whole bunch of noodles!
Watch out, things can get a little messy if you’re making a whole bunch of these!
To cook these noodles, throw them into a pot of boiling water for about three minutes. Just enough to soften them. You can also put them in a bowl in the microwave for about 2 minutes with a tablespoon of water added to the bottom of the bowl. These carrot noodles are also really fun raw in a sandwich or salad and kids love them to snack on as well!
You can top your cooked carrot noodles with any sauce that you like, or just with some fresh herbs, garlic, and olive oil. These are also really good in asian-style noodley dishes! I can always share a few of my favorite recipes if you’d like some ideas, so let me know!
So that’s how you make carrot noodles! It really doesn’t take any more time than making regular pasta and this “pasta” is just so good for you! Give it a try and let me know what you think!
MORE IDEAS LIKE THIS
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.