Noodle recommendations?

(Rusty Andres) #1

For the past few months of going keto I haven’t bothered with pasta. I have made chicken enoki soup a few times and it’s OK. I’m getting a bit tired of enoki and I’m looking for other substitutes.

I’ve tried zucchini and spaghetti squash before and didn’t like them at all. Im a very picky eater, and for me texture is more important than flavor. I can always add seasonings and things to improve taste but texture is usually the deciding factor.

Enoki is ok, but no matter how long you cook it, it’s still sort of fibrous and chewy in the middle of each strand, while the outer layer is soft. I’m not crazy about that.

I’ve always liked my pasta very well done and soft. I cannot stand aldente. If it’s too chewy I can’t do it. I also don’t like really crunchy things like onions unless very caramelized. There is nothing on this earth I hate more than gelatinous texture though. Anything even remotely slimy makes me gag, such as oysters.

I’ve been looking at kelp noodles and shirataki, but it’s not easy to tell if I’d like either based on the Amazon reviews.

Could you guys give me your take on these Noodle substitutes? Where do you buy them? How do you normally prepare them?

(Karen) #2

I eat shirataki noodles if I want noodles. Chew well as they don’t dissolve. Don’t feed to children or elderly… On second thought use spagettis squash or, French green beans.

K

(Darlene Horsley) #3

I plan to try this soon.

#4

I bought this:

https://m.macys.com/shop/product/oxo-good-grips-hand-held-spiralizer?ID=2375874&CategoryID=31839

…and I use it to make noodles out of zucchini. :slight_smile:

(Shayne) #5

I buy shritake noodles and use Dana Carpender’s instructions on how to prepare them.

(jilliangordona) #6

Another vote here for shirataki! Just be sure to rinse them well and don’t let the smell in the package scare you away.

(Rusty Andres) #7

Yeah I have read all about the fishy smell from the water and how to properly prepare them. What I need to know the most is, what is the texture like once fully prepared?

I’m not expecting something to be exactly like pasta, just something with a pleasant texture I would like or at least tolerate better than enoki.

(Rusty Andres) #8

Wow! I’m definitely trying this. Thank you.

#9

Shirtaki is mainly chewy when prepared. I cut up the fettucini into smaller pieces after it’s cooked. I just take kitchen scissors to them in the bowl before I add my sauce or butter. You might prefer the ziti shiratake (on amazon.com) since they’re smaller.

#10

I like shiritaki. There are tons of places where I get them. Some are also called miracle noodles. My local health food store does not refridgerate those although the other brands are usually refridgerated. They are under 3 per pack where I live but it is a large metro area.

They really need to be rinsed and I dry fry them in a non stick pan or fry them in butter or oil. Then I drain them a little and add the sauce to the pan to heat it up. It is not pasta exactly and does have a little bit of a slick texture. Have never heard of Enoki so cannot compare

(Rusty Andres) #11

Enoki are mushrooms that grow like angel hair pasta in long thin strands.

(Marie Dantoni) #12

I read somewhere on this forum that letting them soak in water with a tablespoon of vinegar really removes the fishy smell. Then rinse again. I think that they might be processed with a base and the acid counteracts it. Anyway I definitely noticed a difference.

(Rusty Andres) #13

I’ve read that too but they used lemon juice.

(Marie Dantoni) #14

Sounds like that would be great too.

(Brian) #15

Darlene, those do look like something I’d like to try, too. I’ve tried most of the other things that are supposed to be like pasta. And some of them are tasty, but not so much like pasta. I really like a good zucchini lasagna, but it’s not really comparable to a pasta dish.

Have been wondering if there would be a way to make something like ravioli with an alternative type of pasta. I do still miss the homemade ravioli…

(Darlene Horsley) #16

I think I’m going to make wide flat noodles and try making a lasagna with them! I like my lasagna on the dry side and zucchini just adds too much moisture.

(Karen) #17

Pretty noodle like. Bit of tooth to it. Not. chewy, no starch so it won’t soak up sauce.:neutral_face:

(Brian) #18

There is a lot of moisture in zucchini. Last time I made zucchini lasagna, I started with slicing the zucchini and salting it to try to get some of the moisture out of it. After that, I even put it in the oven for a few minutes to try drying it out even more. I don’t remember the time it was in there. But that did do pretty well at keeping the water from overwhelming the whole dish.

It can be a lot of work and it can take quite a while to put it all together. Honestly, the egg thing looks a lot faster but I know it would take several batches to make a decent sized lasagna.

Let us know how it comes out if you decide to give it a try!

(Brian) #19

True. That would mean the sauce would need to be pretty thick to begin with. It would probably be good having other things for that sauce to attach to, whether it’s meat or other veggies, in addition to copious amounts of tasty cheese. :smiley:

(Chris) #20

I’ve heard of people tossing zoodles in the food dehydrator for a bit to help dry them out.

Haven’t tried it myself yet