Cooking with Colleen: Veggetti

Late night infomercials are simultaneously the worst and best thing about America. I always feel like I should change the channel when they come on, yet I find myself enchanted by the product that they promise will change my life, though they rarely do.

So, imagine my surprise when I see a machine advertised that offers to turn my plain, normal vegetables into easy-to-eat spaghetti.

These vegetable pasta machines, better known by the portmanteau Veggetti Pro, are slowly taking the nation by storm. According to the veggetti maker website, twelve stainless steel blades effortlessly slice the vegetable of your choice into thin, spaghetti-like strands.

Unlike average whole grain pasta, veggetti has many health benefits.

Because veggetti is made out of vegetables and not grains, it is a great option for those, like me, who are gluten free. It is also a wonderful, low calorie option for those looking to include more vegetables and less carbohydrates in their diet.

Here are a few easy-to-make recipes that utilize the veggetti maker, according to the website TwirlyBites, a website dedicated to veggetti recipes:

Zucchini veggetti with raw pasta sauce, serves three

3-4 medium zucchinis

2 1/2 cup tomatoes (or 2 large tomatoes)

12 sundried tomatoes, soaked (or 1/2 cup diced tomatoes)

4 cloves garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

3 dates, pitted and soaked

2 tablespoons parsley

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon sea salt

1. Put the zucchini through the veggetti maker until it reaches the desired thickness.
2. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor or a high speed blender. Blend until smooth.
3. Toss the zucchini noodles with some marinara sauce.

That’s it — you can serve the sauce over single servings of the veggetti or you can mix the sauce and veggetti together.

Twirly fries, serves two

4 potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon Mediterranean sea salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper (to taste)

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Put the potatoes through the veggetti maker until they reach the desired thickness.
3. Place the noodles into a bowl and coat with oil, salt and pepper.
4. Place the noodles on a baking sheet, avoiding overlap and place them in the oven.
5. After ten minutes, flip the fries and put them back in the oven for another ten minutes.