Zoodles and Homemade Pasta Sauce

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A few years ago when I started eating better, I knew one of my challenges would be sugar.  Like so many of you, I love sweets.  I’m not even all that picky about sweets either – cake, pie, ice cream, cupcakes, you name it – chances are pretty good that I’d eat it.

Obviously, the desserts had to go since those are loaded with sugar (although I do allow myself the occasional indulgence).

What I didn’t realize at the time was that sugar was lurking in places that I had never dreamed of!  It’s hidden in foods like salad dressings, beverages, and even pasta sauces.  How crazy is that?  (Read more about hidden sources of sugar here).

The beginning of the new year, however, brought with it my recommitment to my health (and that of my family) – which means reducing my sugar and refined carbohydrate intake.

I decided to start by giving  one of my family’s staple meals – spaghetti – a food makeover.  Spaghetti is  a regular on our menu because it’s so easy and takes almost no time to prepare.  But after reading the ingredient list, I don’t feel good about feeding it to my family.  While I love the slightly sweet taste in pasta sauce, I had never made the connection that it was sweetened with sugar.  It makes perfect sense now that I know but I had no idea.

While I was shopping at Walmart, I picked up a container of  Truvia Natural Sweetener Spoonable.  Anything with the word natural in it gets my attention.  I discovered that Truvia Natural Sweetener is a stevia-based sweetener with zero calories.  A single packet of Truvia provides the same amount of sweetness as two teaspoons of sugar.  That makes it a great choice for anyone looking to reduce calories or sugar in their diet.  And the spoonable container makes it super easy to use in any type of recipe that calls for sugar.

I still wanted to keep this as a simple recipe that can be thrown together quickly on busy weeknights or those times when I don’t feel like cooking.  There are many different variations of ingredients you can use so if you find this recipe isn’t quite to your taste, experiment with more or less spices.  You can even add other ingredients – pasta sauce is a great way to hide veggies that picky eaters won’t eat.

Here are the ingredients that I used:

Diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sliced mushrooms, garlic, onion, red wine vinegar, basil, oregano, Truvia, salt, and pepper (and a little bit of olive oil).

To make the pasta sauce, heat oil in a sauce pan. and add onions and garlic.

Saute for 3-4 minutes until the onions are soft and the garlic is fragrant.  Add in the mushrooms and red wine vinegar and saute for 5 more minutes.

Next, add in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Add in seasoning and stir.  Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, use a spiralizer to make the zoodles from the zucchini.   Be careful though and make sure to use the protective end on the spiralizer.  Trust me on this one – they include it for a reason!

Once you’ve had all the fun of making curly cue veggies, you have a few different options to cook them.  You can microwave them for about a minute, boil them for 2-3 minutes, or saute for a few minutes until they are soft.

Now all that’s left to do is top the zoodles with sauce and serve!

Such a simple and tasty way to enjoy a balanced and nutritious meal!

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Zoodles and Homemade Pasta Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons Truvia Natural Sweetener Spoonable
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 zucchini squash, spiralized

Instructions

1. Heat oil in saucepan and add onion and garlic.
2. Saute 4-5 minutes until onions are soft and garlic is fragrant.
3. Add in mushrooms and red wine vinegar and saute an additional 5 minutes.
4. Add in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.
5. Add in seasonings, stir, and simmer 20-30 minutes.
6. While sauce is simmering, spiralize zucchini.
7. Cook zoodles in microwave for 1 minute, boil 2-3 minutes, or saute until soft.
8. Top zoodles with sauce and serve.

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My family loved how this dinner turned out and it will definitely replace our old spaghetti recipe (if you can actually call a box of pasta and a jar of sauce a recipe :))!  Small changes like this will make a huge difference over time!

Want to try a sample of Truvia® Natural Sweetener for yourself and see how you can live life with less sugar?  Click here for your free sample.  I’d love to hear what you think of it!  

Are you making any changes in your life this year to live a balanced life?  Tell me about it in the comments below!  And be sure to check out more great recipes using Truvia Natural Sweetener here.