http://www.MelJoulwan.com/2011/08/18/comfort-noodles/

Back in the day, before I cared so much about the food I put into my body – in those dark days when being skinny was the primary goal and high-carb, low-fat was the way to go – one of my favorite “I don’t feel like cooking” meals was a bowl of spaghetti with a little olive oil and parmesan cheese with a few (fat free) breadcrumbs sprinkled on top. It could be throw together in about 20 minutes, and it was comforting and unchallenging in its simple familiarity.

I suspect it would taste like paste in my mouth if I tried it now, but I miss that feeling – the experience of a warm, comforting bowl of food that can be slurped or twirled with a fork to make big, soft, round bites… the kind of food you make while wearing pajamas, unplugged from the rest of the world, potentially about to be joined by a snuggly cat in losing yourself in an excellent book.

Tonight, I figured out how to recreate that experience – pajamas, cat, and all – without sacrificing my health. Zucchini noodles stand in for the pasta and gently-cooked eggs add just the right texture to take the place of the parmesan, while adding a healthy dose of essential protein. I even satisfied the indulgent part and made a slight sprinkling of almond meal “bread crumbs” for the top. And lest you worry that all this paleo food business takes longer to prepare than the conventional stuff, the prep and cook time clocked in at 25 minutes – and only about 5 of that was actual work.

Trust me: this does not taste like a big bowl of zucchini.

The garlic and olive oil transform this dish so it tastes like neither vegetables nor eggs, but some miraculous, noodle-y merging of the two. It’s warm and tender and scrumptious. A hug in a bowl.

Comfort Noodles

Makes enough for one person my size; adjust amounts accordingly | Whole30 compliant