Not exactly like pasta – but close enough!
Ok, maybe I’m late to the party – but I’ve recently discovered the most amazing thing since, well – I don’t know what. The point is – this is exciting stuff people!
I’m talking about Shirataki Noodles – aka “Miracle Noodles.” Miracle Noodles have zero calories and only 1g of carbs, compared to 22g of carbs in the same serving of pasta! I know, right? Now I WILL say that it’s not exactly like easting pasta. If both were equal in the carb & calorie department – I would eat the pasta. That being said – there’s such a huge difference between pasta & Miracle Noodle carbs, and the way I feel afterwards – I’ll eat the Miracle Noodles.
So what exactly are Shirataki Noodles?
Good question! Shirataki Noodles (Miracle Noodles) are are thin, translucent, gelatinous Japanese noodles made from the konjac yam. They’re mostly made up of water (97%) and glucomannan (3%) which is a water soluble dietary fiber.
They’re super low in digestible carbs (1g per serving) and really don’t taste like much of anything. That means you can do pretty much anything with them and they’ll assume the flavor of whatever you’re making. Nice!
GLUTEN-FREE BONUS:
If you’re gluten intolerant, Miracle Noodles are your bag baby! These suckers are GLUTEN FREE!
You’re supposed to be able to use them just like pasta – so I’ve been a Miracle-Noodle-making-fool lately. I’ve made my favorite pesto-shrimp with “linguini”, pasta bolognese, pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, feta and basil…..
Here’s the scoop on the taste, texture & my overall opinion:
You have to rinse the noodles & dry them in the oven first (as I explain below). This is supposed to wash off any bitterness. To me, they didn’t really taste like anything – which made it easy to incorporate them into a number of dishes. They were pretty darn good as a 0-calorie, 1g carb option. Think of it as the difference between opting for real pasta or opting for spiraled zucchini noodles. If carbs, calories, the feeling of bloaty-ness doesn’t bug – you’d probably choose pasta. If you like to be mindful – as I do, it’s a darn good option.
IMO, it’s probably best in Asian dishes where you would use cellophane noodles, soba, udon, lo mein or rice noodles. The texture, which is very similar to cellophane noodles can be a little weird in Italian dishes – but again, I was fine with it.
Here’s how you prepare them:
Miracle Noodles come in small sealed bags with water. All you have to do to prepare them for use is:
- Drain & rinse
- Boil for 2 minutes as you would regular fresh pasta
- Dry in the oven, on a baking sheet for 10-15 minutes
Yeah I know – at first I thought the whole dry-in-the-oven thing was going to be a PITA (Pain In The A$$) – I am not patient when it comes to my food! BUT it actually wasn’t a big deal.
Time Saver:
I made a big batch at once, then stored the noodles, plain, in the fridge for easy heat-and-eat. This also allowed me to use the noodles in a variety of different dishes depending on my mood!
“Drying” eliminates any bitterness in the noodles
I mean – who wants to be bitter, right?! Drying the noodles is supposed to get rid of the slight bitter taste. Personally – I tasted them before drying them out and didn’t taste any bitterness. They don’t taste like anything – I found them to be completely flavorless.
I heated the oven to about 300-degrees, spread the noodles on a large baking sheet covered with tin foil, and just let them dry-out for about 15-minutes. BOOM! Done.
I actually like them better than real pasta, because of the way I feel afterwards. Unlike pasta, which is all fun and games at the time but can leave you feeling groggy + bloat-y – a dish with these noodles leaves me feeling light and energetic. Umm, yes pleezzz.
They come in a variety of styles & flavors:
+ rice
If you’re undecided, I’d recommend getting the small Sampler pack, which also comes with ziti & garlic fettuccine. In the sampler, you get (1) 7-oz package of each style / flavor – which is just enough see if you like it first. A 7-oz package will serve about 2 people, fyi.
If you haven’t tried Miracle Noodles yet – give ’em a whirl and tell me what you think! Already use them? Share your feedback below, with the rest of us!
Loving your website Shelli!! You are such a great inspiration ❤️❤️ Again conquering the world??
Thank you! 😉
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thanks Marianne. Happy that you found it informative.