Spaghetti Really is Better When It's Made Out of Vegetables

Posted by Tara Stanton


Spaghetti that’s made entirely out of zucchini.

Something just doesn’t sound right about that statement. But one of the most intriguing, and indeed surprising, ways to serve food is done with a spiralizer. Essentially, this is a kitchen tool that cuts vegetables into spaghetti-like spirals. Carrots, zucchinis, sweet potatoes and more can be made into, well, pasta.

What do you need to know about spiralizers?

Spiralizers first caught the attention of the public during the short-lived raw-food diet that had its moment about ten years ago. Vegetable pasta was a way for raw-food chefs to add something interesting to what was a fairly limited diet. Other diet fads, namely the Paleo diet, subsequently took up the spiralizer pretty much for the same reason: to add variety to a restrictive diet.

But vegetable pasta and the spiralizers that made it possible appealed to normal eaters as well. In the past few years, a mainstream audience has taken to these meals. In fact, more and more restaurants are currently expanding their menus to include unique nutritious dishes.

These days, spiralizers come in a variety of forms, from handheld units good for home use, to industrial units that can fit multiple blades so you can cut noodles in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Should you add it to your menu?

A spiralizer can be used to make more than just pasta substitutes, though. They can be used to garnish salads or meat dishes with decorative ribbons of vegetables, for example. This is a simple way to enhance the appearance of certain dishes, and for this simple reason, it’s worth the investment (industrial spiralizers tend to run between $100 and $400).

The big question, however, is whether you should introduce entire dishes that are built around spiralized vegetables.

If you’ve been looking to add veggie-centric dishes to your menu, spiralized meals are one great way to present your guests with dynamic, hearty meals. Whether you choose to serve cashew pesto with zucchini noodles or a sweet potato noodle waffle, the options are limited only by your imagination.

How do you get ahead of this trend?

One way to make your restaurant known for these dishes is to incorporate spiraled vegetables into other plates. This will likely spark the curiosity of a few diners and entice them to try other spiralized options. You’ll want to have several spiralized appetizers and main dishes prepared for those curious clients. 

Such a strategy is a great way to introduce people to this unique way of eating, and to make your restaurant a popular destination for this hot food trend.

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