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3 Brillant Comments

AIP Zucchini Pappardelle with Mushrooms

This luscious AIP Zucchini Pappardelle with Mushrooms is gluten/grain/dairy/egg/soy free, Paleo and AIP compliant, and can easily be made vegetarian or vegan.

AIP Zucchini Pappardelle with Mushrooms

This dish has become a repeat performer on our dinner rotation and seems to go over well with any crowd. I came up with the recipe in our garage.

Yep, our garage.

We were renovating our kitchen at the time and had set up a makeshift one on the workbench, right between the rack of skis and the bins of fishing and camping gear. Our appliances included a coffee maker, an electric kettle, a toaster and a hybrid crock pot/electric skillet. Our prep counter was my old writing desk. We squeezed our old refrigerator in, right next to the utility shelves which became our pantry. Noah’s parking spot became our dining room. The chandelier? Well, the light on the garage door opener of course!

It was better than nothing, but it got old quick– especially doing dishes in the laundry room sink. We lived that way for four months. And because apparently, I like a challenge, I took my first crack at the Autoimmune Protocol Diet (AIP) right in the middle of it.

AIP, or as I like to call it, THE MOTHER OF ALL ELIMINATION DIETS is not for sissies. No grains, no dairy, no beans, no nuts, no seeds (including spices), no nightshades, no artificial ingredients, and no sugar. And in my case, NO kitchen. Truly, I don’t recommend going AIP while your kitchen is under construction. Anyone who’s tried AIP can tell you that it requires a LOT of cooking.

Renovating my health and my kitchen at the same time was um, interesting.

My timing was not ideal, but this zucchini pappardelle with mushrooms sure was. This simple recipe takes its flavor cues from a well-choreographed balance of garlic, lemon, shallot, sea salt, and just a touch of dill. The silky, ribbon-like noodles, adorned with richly caramelized mushrooms and brightened up with that kick of lemon was a hit worthy of jotting down in my trusty recipe notebook.

Zucchini Pappardelle with Mushrooms

I made it again this fall for my in-laws who soon-after requested the recipe. . . Which inspired me to type it up. . . Which inspired me to add it to my AIP recipe repertoire here on Hypothyroid Chef. Alas, I realized I did not have an AIP recipe category under my “Special Diets” tab. So I fixed that (yay!). Now those of you on the Autoimmune Protocol can find all my AIP recipes in one convenient place.

In warmer months you could serve this with grilled flatiron steak, salmon, or chicken. In winter, it’s nice alongside roast Cornish game hen, venison tenderloin, or any other pan-seared or roasted protein. Sometimes I double the mushrooms and set half aside for my 5-year-old. He loves mushrooms. Zucchini? Not so much.

Sauteed Mushrooms

Choosing your cooking fat or oil is important on AIP and Paleo diets. It’s a big topic, and if you’re curious to learn more, I recommend this article from Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, aka The Paleo Mom:

Which Fats Should You Eat?

Chef’s Notes: Why Size and Shape Matters

Here’s some cheffy food for thought. When it comes to making vegetables delicious and fun to eat, don’t underestimate the importance of size and shape. Think about a carrot that’s been shaved into ribbons with a peeler and put into a salad, versus one that’s been diced, grated, cut into coins, julienned, or left in big chunks. The experience of eating that carrot (and that salad) is completely changed depending on how things are cut.

Want to make your cooking more lovely and interesting? Consider this often overlooked detail.

I love a good spiralized zoodle, but sometimes a wide zucchini ribbon is a more texturally luscious experience. Zucchini is also a super-star ingredient for any hypothyroid-friendly diet.

Zucchini Pappardelle

As always, let’s explore why this recipe is good for our thyroid function…

The Breakdown

  • A 1/2 cup serving of cooked zucchini provides 20 % DV of Vitamin A, which may be a key factor in preventing hypothyroidism.
  • Zucchini is a good source of Thiamin, Niacin, Riboflavin, Phosphorus, and Vitamin B6. It is a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper, Manganese, and Dietary Fiber. So many nutrients for the very low cost of 14 calories per half-cup serving!
  • Just 1 cremini mushroom provides 7% DV of selenium, a nutrient important for the production and regulation of thyroid hormones.
  • Garlic has many powerful healing properties which can aid or alleviate some of the symptoms of Hypothyroidism such as inflammation, cardiovascular issues, decreased immunity, and increased infection. It can also support the liver in its detoxification efforts.
  • Lemons are a very good source of vitamin C. A study recently shared in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, stated that, “In patients with hypothyroidism and gastrointestinal pathology, vitamin C improves the abnormalities in serum free T4, T3, and TSH concentrations.” Read the article HERE.

My adventures in AIP kitchen renovation were a mountain to climb, but at the end of it all I came away with two HUGE improvements to my quality of life:

  1. My health!
  2. A beautiful, highly-functional kitchen.

kitchen before and after

Click here for an action shot from our kitchen’s maiden voyage.

Our new kitchen has been a dream come true, and so much more fun to cook in than our old one. It was worth every load of laundry-room dishes, and all the thought and effort we put into designing a space that reflected the way we cook today (think more real fresh food, fewer pantry items).

But best of all, after a year of planning, research, hard work, dietary and lifestyle changes, I feel more vibrant, healthy, pain-free, and clear-headed than I have since my diagnosis in 2011.

You can too. Don’t give up on your health journey. If you are committed to the work, dreams DO come true. Believe that.

Wishing you happy cooking and the best of health,

AIP Zucchini Pappardelle with Mushrooms

Created by Ginny Mahar on February 23, 2017

AIP Zucchini Pappardelle with Mushrooms To make this vegan, substitute avocado oil or olive oil for lard/ghee.

  • Prep Time: 30m
  • Cook Time: 10m
  • Total Time: 40m
  • Serves: 4
  • Category: Sides

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. avocado oil or other high-heat-friendly oil
  • 1 tbsp. Lard or Ghee (ghee is not recommended for AIP)
  • 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 c minced shallot
  • 1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • fine sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp. dried dill
  • 3 medium zucchini (or about 6 cups zucchini ribbons)
  • 3 tsp. fresh lemon juice, divided
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp. chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, heat the oil and solid fat over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté 2 mins, or just until it begins to color. Add the shallot and sauté until softened, about 2 more mins.
  2. Add mushrooms to skillet and season to taste with fine sea salt and dried dill. Stir to combine. Once the moisture evaporates they will begin to turn to a beautiful golden brown. Don’t rush this step. Increase heat if necessary and don’t stir too often.
  3. While the mushrooms are cooking, use a horizontal vegetable peeler to slice the zucchini into thin ribbons. Hold at one end, working around the zucchini on 4 sides, and discard the seedy core.
  4. Once the shrooms are browned to your liking, turn off the heat. Stir in 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, and 1 tsp. lemon zest. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and/or lemon juice if necessary. Remove mushrooms from skillet and set aside.
  5. Reheat the skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and a hefty pinch of sea salt to the pan. If necessary, add a little extra cooking fat or oil. Stir occasionally until zucchini just begins to soften, about 1 to 2 minutes. Do not overcook.
  6. Return mushrooms to pan, along with 1 -2 tsp. more lemon juice. Toss to combine and heat everything through. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional lemon juice and/or salt if necessary. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Source: Ginny Mahar
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Filed Under: Sides Tagged With: AIP, dairy free, Gluten Free, grain free, lemon, mushrooms, shallots, Vegan, vegetarian, zucchini

Previous Post: « “Caramel” Nut Chocolate Bark
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Reader Interactions

Join the Discussion

  1. Eileen @ Phoenix Helix says

    May 3, 2017 at 7:04 pm

    Hi Ginny. This recipe looks delicious! Thanks for sharing it at the Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable. I hope you’ll join us again.

    Reply
    • Ginny Mahar says

      May 4, 2017 at 9:17 am

      Thank you so much Eileen! There’s more where that came from : ) So glad I found your roundtable.

      Reply
  2. Sheetal Prabhu says

    August 2, 2020 at 2:17 am

    tried this and enjoyed so much that made it twice in a week already.
    just wondering how to get rid of the starchy feel from zucchini.

    Reply

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Hypothyroid Chef is a place to share my recipes and my quest for better thyroid health, with you. I am neither doctor, nor dietitian, but a passionate cook who wants to know more and feel better. This is not a place for medical advice, and any opinions shared are my own. Information shared on Hypothyroid Chef is for educational purposes only and is neither intended nor implied as a substitute for professional medical advice. Before implementing changes to your diet, exercise program, or lifestyle, please consult with your doctor.

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