Zoodles Recipe

Our Zoodles Recipe will walk you through making zucchini noodles right at home. Zucchini noodles are a great way to have a healthy side dish to go along with almost any meal.

While they are probably really trendy right now, Zoodles have been around for a minute. We wanted to use this recipe less to show you how to cut it (although we will show you that) but focus more on what you can do to make sure they taste delicious.

What are Zoodles

Zucchini noodles are the perfect substitute for pasta or any noodle dish. Fresh zucchini is cut into strips or spiralized into noodles, also known as Zoodles. The humble veggie is transformed into a carb-free noodle that can be cooked or eaten raw. Our favorite way to eat it is simply warmed with garlic and topped with some of our favorite saucy recipes. 

How to Make Zoodles:

Zoodles typically mimic spaghetti but you can cut them to be wider, fatter, longer. The perk of cutting the noodles yourself is to control the shape and they are much more sturdy. Keep in mind the store bought option is great but they’ve been sitting in the package for a few days. Ideally you would use them right away before they get watery. 

• Spiralizer – If you have the space in your kitchen a spiralizer is the way to go. It makes long and even pieces. 
• Peeler – Place your zucchini flat on a cutting board and run the peeler with some pressure from one side to the other. You will end up with long strips. Stack the strips together and cut them lengthwise.  
• Slice – If you’ve got stellar knife skills then you can slice them thinly and run a knife through them to make long strips. 
• Store bought zoodles – Zucchini noodles that are already pre cut are a great option. Most of these are thin. 

Our Tips for this Zoodles Recipe

First have to make sure you drain the zoodles. This is a very watery vegetable, so it’s helpful to allow them to sit in a colander before cooking to allow extra water to escape.

Another very important consideration is to be sure you are working with a very hot pan. This helps some of the excess water evaporate.

The humble vegetable is transformed into a noodle that takes a little practice cooking. Like with all pastas, people tend to over cook zoodles as well. Keep in mind it’s something you can eat raw. Less is more. 

You want to barely saute the noodles and warm them up. Unlike traditional Italian pastas that the sauce is added to the noodles so the pasta can absorb the sauce, it’s best to just serve the sauce is on top for any alternative noodle, especially zoodles.  

It’s best to serve the zoodles as they are ready. If you leave them in the pan for too long they will get watery and very soft. 

Serving Our Zoodles Recipe:

We often use zoodles as the bed for picadillo. It doesn’t get healthier and more nutritious than our Turkey Veggie Picadillo on top of fresh zoodles. We also serve zucchini noodles with Cuban Meatballs and Turkey Meatballs. It can also be a side to serve with our Roast Chicken, Carne con Papas or Garlic Lemon Fish. 

Zoodles are not only a substitute for pasta. They can also be added to other dishes. We love to add them raw to a salad for a different texture and beautiful green color. Toss fresh zoodles with our Buttermilk Ranch dressing or Herb dipping sauce. Adding it to our Spring Salad adds another layer to an already beautiful side.

Try Some of Our Other Delicious Veggie Forward Dinner Ideas