I have to admit, a spiral slicer is a rather fun kitchen gadget to have. You can take just about any recipe you would normally make with pasta and make it low-carb by substituting zoodles (zucchini noodles). You can use the slicer for other things too, but I pretty much use it mostly for zoodles.
These garlic butter zoodles with Brussels sprouts are about as easy to make as you can get, and they taste fantastic. I cook the zucchini noodles to the point where they are soft, but still have some crunch. The butter and garlic add some needed flavor. Zucchini isn’t exactly packed with flavor… it’s good, but butter and garlic make it fantastic. And nothing beats crunchy Brussels sprouts. I love them. Topped with a bit of cheese and toasted sesame seeds, this makes for a great side dish.
You can get pretty creative with this dish just by swapping a few ingredients. Use toasted pine nuts or even peanuts instead of sesame seeds. Leave off the Parmesan cheese and add French-fried jalapenos for a kicked up dish, or just add a few (big) pinches of dried red pepper flake to the zucchini when you are cooking them.
Or just add cooked crumbled bacon. Now we’re talking good!
Also try my sauteed shredded Brussels sprouts.
Garlic Butter Zoodles with Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts tough parts of stems removed
- 3 small zucchini cut into noodles using a spiral slicer
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- sesame seeds toasted (optional)
- Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the sprouts and boil for 4-5 minutes or until just starting to soften.
- Drain and rinse under cool water.
- Cut sprouts in half along the stem.
- Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet.
- Add the zucchini noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring.
- Let noodles rest for 3 minutes to release any liquid, then drain. Remove noodles to plate.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet and melt.
- Add the garlic and sprouts and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add remaining butter and melt.
- Add the zucchini noodles back to the pan, stir and warm through.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve garnished with toasted sesame seeds and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
These bacon-wrapped Brussels sprouts are nothing but absolutely delicious. You will eat them like popcorn, one after another. I used a very simple spice mixture of Italian herbs, but anything will work just great, from just salt and pepper to Creole seasoning to garlic salt. You name it, you can’t go wrong.
