Zoodles and Nomato Sauce – Grain-Free, GAPS and Paleo AIP Friendly Dinner

What the heck are zoodles? And what is nomato sauce? It’s zucchini noodles and sauce similar to tomato-based marinara, without the tomatoes! As part of the GAPS diet, my toddlers are completely grain-free. This means no pasta, not even gluten-free. No quinoa. No rice. None of that. Tomatoes are allowed, but I noticed my youngest had an eczema flare-up after eating them. I’m not sure the tomatoes were the cause, but I was so frustrated that I decided to try incorporating some AIP ideas, such as removing nightshades temporarily.

I had seen the idea of making “noodles” out of zucchini a long time ago, and it came to mind recently, and I knew I had to try it. My mom bought me this awesome tool, the Paderno World Cuisine Spiral Vegetable Slicer. It has over 5,500 reviews and a rating of 4.5 on amazon, and let me tell you – those great reviews are right! This thing rocks! It is easy to use and easy to clean, both of which are mandatory for any tool that is going to get much use in my kitchen. Think your kids won’t eat veggie “noodles”? Get them in the kitchen to help, and I bet they’ll surprise you. My 10 year old, who is not on GAPS and could be described as a picky eater, ate these without much complaint! The girls absolutely loved the meal. My husband said the sauce could pass for a tomato-based sauce. With my first attempt I could taste the difference, but the flavor profile was so similar it was hard to believe, and after a few modifications, the sauce was amazing! This is one of those meals that you probably won’t make if you aren’t following a Paleo, SCD, GAPS, or other similar grain-free diet. But it’s one that you should! It’s full of a variety of vegetables, and so packed with nutrients, and if nothing else, it’s a fun way to get creative with dinner. Enjoy!

Zoodles and Nomato Sauce - Grain-Free, GAPS and Paleo AIP

 

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Ingredients

Zoodles

• 1-2 zucchini squash per person, depending on the size
• Sea salt
• Duck fat (or fat of your choice)

Nomato Sauce

• 1 lb. ground beef (omit for vegetarian sauce)
• 2 tbsp duck fat (or fat of your choice)
• 4-6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 6 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 small beet, peeled and sliced
• 3 celery ribs, diced
• 1½ cups broth
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 bay leaf
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

Zoodles

1. Wash and peel the zucchini
2. Create noodles with your spiral slicer or cut thin strands of zucchini, skipping the very center with the seeds (the spiral slicer basically does this for you)
3. Place zoodles on a cookie sheet or in a strainer
4. Sprinkle with sea salt to help draw out the moisture
5. After about 20 minutes (in the oven at 200 degrees to help "sweat" them or in a strainer in your sink) wrap them in paper towels and squeeze out any excess moisture
6. Saute in duck fat (or your choice of fat) for several minutes, until they are cooked to your preference. Alternately, you can add them to your sauce and simmer.

Nomato Sauce

1. Brown the ground beef and set aside. (I cook mine in advance, in large quantities in my slow cooker, so I usually have pre-browned beef to pull out and add to recipes)
2. Melt the duck fat and saute the leek and garlic for a few minutes
3. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil
4. Reduce heat and cover
5. Simmer until veggies are soft
6. Remove bay leaf and discard
7. Using a high powered blender or an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Add the sauce and the meat back into the pot
8. Adjust seasoning to taste
9. If your diet tolerates it (not AIP legal or GAPS Intro, but is allowed on GAPS Full) top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

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