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A bed of zucchini noodles topped with parmesan cheese, basil, and tomatoes.
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Zucchini Noodles

Zoodles are a low calorie, gluten free, nutrient-dense sub for wheat or grain-based noodles! They are delicious served with pasta sauces, as the base for salads, or in Asian noodle dishes. Try them using a spiralizer, a mandoline, a julienne peeler, or by hand cutting. See notes below for a full description of techniques!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: zoodles, zucchini noodles
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 34kcal
Author: Michelle Miller

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 zucchini thicker in diameter, look for as straight as possible
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • sea salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

To Make Zoodles

  • Cut the ends off the zucchini in a straight/flat line.
  • Spiralizer: Cut zucchini in half, with as flat of a cut as possible (not at an angle). Place half the zucchini in the spiralizer, and spiralize it to form noodles. Repeat with the rest of the zucchini.
    Step 1 shows trimming the ends of the zucchini and cutting long zucchini in half, and step 2 shows spiralizing the zucchini.
  • Julienne Peeler: Use the peeler to peel straight down the side of the zucchini. Continue peeling down the same section of the zucchini until you reach the soft seeded core, then rotate the zucchini and peel down another side. Repeat on all 4 sides. Discard or save the core for another use.
    Step 1 shows running the julienne peeler down the side of the zucchini, and step 2 shows rotating the zucchini and repeating on all 4 sides.
  • Mandoline: Use the mandoline to cut zucchini into thin slices. It is difficult to use the guard, so hold the zucchini by hand, pressing down into the slicer, and be very cautious past the middle of the zucchini. The last 1/4 of the zucchini is not safe to cut, so save that for another purpose.
    Step 1 shows slicing the zucchini on a mandoline, and step 2 shows lasagna noodle type zoodles.
  • By Hand: First, cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Put one half of the zucchini cut-side down, and very thinly slice it.
    Take 3-4 slices of the zucchini, and cut them into strips the desired width of your noodles.
    Step 1 shows slicing the zucchini in half, and step 2 shows slicing a half in very thin slices.

Cook Zoodles

  • Raw: My favorite method of "cooking" zoodles is to plate them raw, toss with olive oil, sea salt and pepper, and then serve with a hot sauce or toppings. The noodles retain an "al dente" texture and don't get watery if they are used raw.
  • In Skillet: Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add olive oil. Add zoodles, and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Oven Method: Heat oven at 425º F. Line a baking tray with paper towels, and add zoodles. Spray or drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 5-7 minutes, then serve immediately.

Video

Notes

FAQ & How to Store Zucchini Noodles

Meal Prep Zoodles: Only heat the zucchini you plan on eating, and store leftover zoodles raw. Pack in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Heating up Previously Cooked Zoodles: Zucchini is a light, water rich vegetable. When heated, water is released. I prefer not to reheat previously cooked zoodles because they become very soggy.
 

How to Serve Zucchini Noodles:

As a Salad Base: Zucchini noodles are a great green to use for salads! It keeps your meal low calorie, but makes your salad have a cold pasta feel. Try this Whole30 Zoodle Salad, which uses tahini and lemon juice as a refreshing dressing.
For Pasta Sauce or Spaghetti: Any place you'd normally use a wheat-based pasta, you can sub zoodles! Add a spaghetti sauce, meatballs, or even alfredo sauce and chicken!
Pesto Zoodles: Toss zucchini strands in your favorite pesto sauce. Add chicken to make it a complete meal!
As a Rice Substitute: If you normally serve a curry on rice, try a bed of zoodles instead! This Keto Butter Chicken is delicious with zucchini noodles.
As a light side dish: Keep is simple, and serve zoodles with butter, salt and pepper, as a fun "pasta-like" side. Top with parmesan cheese if you'd like!

Nutrition

Calories: 34kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 196IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg