It's kind of cheating to call zucchini pasta "gluten-free", because zucchini is gluten-free by nature. I very often find myself annoyed with products that are marketed as "100% Gluten Free" when it's something that is naturally gluten free. Like for instance, chicken. A chicken is gluten free and so is an egg. The only things that aren't gluten-free are products that contain wheat or other gluten-containing grains. This includes things like wheat bread and a lot of processed food. So I'm really happy to see a gluten-free label on a processed food, like rice cereal or sausages (yes, unfortunately there can be gluten in sausages because they use wheat as a binder.) Likewise, in items that are normally made out of wheat, like bread or pasta, I'm really happy to see a label that says the product is gluten free because then I can eat it!

Zucchini is Naturally Gluten-Free

Sometimes, though, there a gluten-free products which are really sort of processed and fake. Like a lot of gluten-free cookies are really processed to the point where it's like eating chalk or something that's extruded. In cases like that a person would be better off substituting a product that's going to fill the same need but is "real." So maybe you wanted a cookie, but you can't get a cookie that's satisfying so you get yourself a piece of chocolate and a handful of nuts instead. This is kind of a bad example, health-wise, but hopefully I'm getting my point across. Another example might be if you just can't stand rice pasta. A good substitute that is real is some slices of polenta, which go real well with a red sauce and some mozzarella cheese.

While we're talking about pasta, this is the best time to talk about my favorite gluten-free pasta substitute, and that is julienned zucchini. Now it's not as simple as taking zucchini and chopping it up julienne-style and then pouring your favorite sauce over it, but it's only a little bit more complicated. To start, you'll need 1 medium washed and dried zucchini per serving. Take each zucchini and put them through a mandoline with a julienne blade. You'll want to put the zucchini through the mandoline length-wise so that the "noodles" you get are as long as possible (everybody loves long noodles.) After you have cut up all the zucchini, you'll want to salt it to draw the water out. For each zucchini you're draining, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Depending on how sensitive you are to salt, you might want to use less, but remember that you can rinse the zucchini off once it has drained properly.

Depending on how long you like to leave your pasta sauce cooking before you eat it, now is a good time to start putting it together. Most people will say that zucchini pasta is only going to be good with a red sauce, and I'm pretty sure I agree, although I've never tried it with a white sauce so I can't say. I could see the flavor of the zucchini getting in the way of a delicate white sauce.

To drain the julienned zucchini, put it in a colander with the salt and let it sit for about a half hour. Stir the zucchini a couple of times during the half hour and also very gently press it to get the water out. Obviously, it is OK to let the zucchini sit longer than a half hour if you like. Once your pasta sauce is almost ready to go, give the zucchini a quick rinse and then put it on a towel and gently pat it dry.

Once the "gluten-free" zucchini pasta has been drained and patted dry, you're ready to fry it in a pan. When you fry the zucchini, you won't want to cook it. Really you're just going to make it bend better and also heat it though. If the zucchini reaches the point where it becomes translucent then it's been overcooked. So you're really only going to want to cook it four or five minutes at most. Get the pan hot before you put the zucchini in. If you're not using a non-stick pan then you'll want the pan really hot. For non-stick pans use medium-hot heat (this is because high temperatures are bad for non-stick pans.) Toss the pasta while frying it and stop when it gets just a little tender.

Now you're ready to put the pasta on your plates and smother it with your pasta sauce. We prefer a marinara sauce with meat or sausage and a ton of garlic. Serve with Parmesan cheese for those who want it. Even if you don't really enjoy zucchini normally, you might like this recipe. I think a lot of times zucchini is overcooked and gets slimy. When you make zucchini this way it keeps its crunch and is really delicious. The crunch is an extra bonus on top of your pasta being 100% gluten free. Enjoy! I have a gluten-free bread machine and make my own bread. This is especially great with a pasta dish! Here's a page with a list of gluten-free bread machines.

Another nice thing about this pasta is that it is naturally low-carb, as well as being gluten-free. Here's a great site if you're looking for more information about living on a gluten-free diet, especially in Portland Oregon. It's possible to enjoy eating without wheat or gluten.