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No matter what decadent sauce you pile atop a platter of zoodles, let’s be honest: The dish just won’t fill the pasta-shaped hole in your heart. Yes, spiralized veggies are delish, colorful, and nutrient-packed—but comparing the flourless alternative to pasta is definitely not an apples-to-apples kind of situation. Luckily, Tituss Burgess (AKA Titus Andromedon from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) has a mouthwatering solution for this carb conundrum—and one serving sets you back just 80 cents.
“I’m always on a diet, and my Achilles’ heel is pasta,” Burgess told The Strategist in an extremely relatable recent interview. “I can’t stand zoodles. They don’t taste anything like spaghetti. So I was looking for a replacement, and a friend of mine told me about these tofu noodles, and I was like, ‘Okay, here we go,’ but they were actually really good.”
The miracle product of which he speaks is Tofu Shirataki Spaghetti: keto-friendly, vegan, and gluten-free noodles made from a blend of tofu and konjac, an Asian yam, that have just 10 calories and 3 carbs per serving, plus two grams of fiber—the hardworking nutrient that boosts your metabolism and quells inflammation. (You can bulk-buy the 10 two-servings bags on Amazon for $16.)
“They’re made of tofu and are low-carb, and they actually do taste like noodles.” —Tituss Burgess
The noodles are actually a modern spin-off of traditional Japanese shirataki noodles that are made entirely from konjac, and House Foods, the company that makes Burgess’ preferred alt-noodles, also makes tofu-and-konjac versions of fettucine, angel hair, and macaroni. “They’re made of tofu and are low-carb, and they actually do taste like noodles,” Burgess says, adding that they’re a tad on the chewy side but nevertheless are a more preferable companion for meatballs than their spiralized-produce brethren.
So next time you’re jonesing for chicken pho or keto pad-thai, you can make this swap for a healthier indulgence than standard pasta that, at least according to Burgess, isn’t such a far cry from the traditional Italian comfort food. (But, don’t let your spiralizer gather dust—there are so many nutrient-dense recipes to try with different veggies.)
If you’re looking for a fresh side salad to complement your pasta dish, whip up one of these lettuce-free options or this southern twist on a classic Caesar salad.
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