Zucchini Noodles with Butter and Parmesan

These buttery zucchini noodles closely mimic the experience of eating real pasta. The cheesy, garlicky strands are unbelievably good!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 185kcal

1 pound zucchini spirals
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons Parmesan grated

Heat the butter in a large, 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
When melted and foamy, add the zucchini noodles. Cook, stirring often, until just tender, about 4-5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 more minute. Turn the heat off.
Mix in the kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and parmesan.
Serve immediately.

You can use a mandoline slicer or a vegetable spiralizer to create the noodle shapes or use store-bought zucchini spirals.
Overcooking the zucchini strands will result in them being soggy. It's much like cooking pasta al dente. You want the strands to still have a "bite." You don't want them to be too soft. So, please don't cook them longer than necessary in the first step before adding the garlic. Then, after adding the garlic and letting it cook briefly, turn the heat off immediately.
Sometimes, I add a cup or two of shredded baked chicken breast or boiled shrimp to the noodles. This turns them from a side dish into a complete meal.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat them, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. If you like cold leftover pasta, you'll enjoy eating these leftovers cold. I certainly do! I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.