A day like today is just calling for comfort food. It is raining in Lake Tahoe (which I absolutely love) and I had to go to my favorite place in the whole-wide world, the dentist. One of my goals for this year was to start going to the dentist again… I may or may not have gone like 8 years without going… Anyways, I am back on track and just had a little filling completed today. As much as I wish I never had to go to the dentist, I am learning in my “older” age how much dental health relates to your overall health. It wasn’t as bad as I remember 8 years ago and am glad to be getting things taken care of proactively. Anyways, fillings and rain made me really want some good ol’ comfort food. I also wanted something that could be put together in 30 minutes or less.

One of my favorite go-tos that fit this bill are zoodles. If you have never heard of zoodles before, your life is about to change forever. Forever, I tell you. Making zoodles is fun and a SUPER healthy alternative to traditional pasta. All you need is a spiralizer (here and here are some good ones) and zucchini, and boom, you have zoodles. There is so much you can do with zoodles. You can make shrimp scampi, serve with meatballs, top with meat sauce, or just enjoy with some butter, parmesan cheese, and pretend you are five again. For me, I love making zoodles with ground turkey and a combination of red and pesto sauces. There is something about the marriage between the tomato and pesto that is just a match made in heaven. Next time you are craving something comforting, give this recipe a try or get creative in the kitchen and come up with your own combination for zoodles. I promise, you won’t be sorry.

Zoodles with Pesto Ground Turkey

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (cremini or button)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 cup macadamia nut pesto
• 2 medium-large zucchini
• 1 cup of your favorite tomato sauce (I can’t live without Kissino)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add the coconut oil to a large pan over medium heat. After coconut oil has melted, add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Sauté until soft and the mushrooms are starting to turn golden brown.
2. Add your ground turkey to the pan and break up into small chunks with a wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink in the center.
3. While your turkey is cooking, spiralize your zucchini. Set aside.
4. Add half of the pesto to the pan and incorporate with the turkey. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Remove the turkey mixture from the pan and set aside.
5. Add the zoodles and red sauce to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes. You really don’t want to cook the zoodles too long. I prefer them barely cooked, so I really just cook them until heated through.
6. Transfer your zoodles and red sauce to two plates. Top with your turkey and leftover pesto. I also like to garnish mine with some fresh cherry tomatoes.

That’s it! This is so easy, it probably shouldn’t even be a recipe. Let me know if you try it or what your favorite way to eat zoodles is. Get inspiralized!