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    Home » Vegetable Recipes » Zucchini Noodles

    Zucchini Noodles

    Last updated: Sep 23, 2023 · Recipes developed by Vered DeLeeuw and nutritionally reviewed by Rachel Benight MS, RD · This website generates income via ads and uses cookies.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    These delicious zucchini noodles are ready in ten minutes. When using store-bought spiralized zucchini, this recipe is as easy as can be.

    You can mix in a cooked protein such as chicken or shrimp and turn these noodles into a complete meal.

    Zucchini noodles with butter and parmesan served on a white plate.

    One of my favorite side dishes is vegetable-based pasta substitutes. Hearts of Palm pasta and spaghetti squash noodles are two excellent options. But I make these zucchini noodles more often than any other substitute.

    The cheesy, garlicky strands are delicious and not watery. They are very close to the experience of eating real buttered noodles.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Fresh Spiralized Zucchini is Better
    • Variations
    • Zucchini Noodles Instructions
    • Expert Tip
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storing Leftovers
    • More Noodle Recipes
    • Recipe Card

    Ingredients

    The ingredients needed to cook zucchini noodles.

    You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

    Spiralized zucchini: You can use a mandoline slicer or a vegetable spiralizer to create the noodle shapes. When I first started making this recipe back in 2014, I simply used a sharp chef's knife to slice fresh zucchini into thin strips:

    Creating zucchini noodles with a sharp knife.

    Nowadays, store-bought zucchini spirals are readily available at most supermarkets in the produce section, so that's what I use. I usually get mine at Whole Foods:

    Packaged fresh zucchini spirals.

    Using pre-spiralized zucchini makes this recipe incredibly easy and quick.

    Butter: European butter is delicious, but any butter will work.

    Garlic: For the best flavor, mince it yourself instead of using jarred minced garlic.

    To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

    Grated Parmesan: It's best to use finely grated parmesan and not coarsely shredded.

    Fresh Spiralized Zucchini is Better

    I experimented with using frozen spiralized zucchini that I got at Wild Fork Foods. I'm usually a big fan of this brand and use many of its products, but this product was not as good as fresh zoodles.

    The noodles look great on the package:

    A package of frozen zucchini spirals.

    But when you open the package and remove them from the plastic wrap, you see that they have hardened into a solid block of ice:

    Frozen zucchini spirals.

    To thaw them, you can microwave them, or do as I did and place them frozen in a skillet, cover, and heat on medium heat until they start to thaw and you can gently separate them:

    Frozen zucchini spirals thawing in a skillet.

    They released a large amount of water, so I strained them in a colander, then returned them to the skillet and added butter, garlic powder (instead of fresh garlic), kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

    Frozen zucchini spirals in a skillet with butter and seasonings.

    I sauteed them over medium heat until heated through, then plated and topped with grated parmesan.

    Frozen zucchini spirals, cooked, on a white plate.

    We tasted the result, which wasn't bad, but the noodles were a bit mushy and not as tasty as fresh zucchini noodles. So, if you can, choose fresh zucchini spirals instead of frozen.

    Variations

    • Instead of butter, you can mix store-bought pasta sauce into the noodles. When I go this route, I use a â…“ to ½ cup of sauce and omit the spices. This is as easy as this recipe can get!
    • 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.
    • Bacon bits are another tasty option that adds fantastic flavor. You can also microwave bacon until crispy, crumble it, and add it to the noodles.
    • You can use high-quality olive oil in this recipe instead of butter. I prefer butter, but olive oil is also delicious.

    Zucchini Noodles Instructions

    Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:

    Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When melted and foamy, add the noodles.

    Adding zoodles to melted butter in skillet.

    Cook, stirring often, until just tender, about 4-5 minutes.

    Stirring zoodles in skillet.

    Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 more minute. Turn the heat off.

    Adding garlic to zoodles.

    Add the kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and parmesan. Mix and serve.

    Adding parmesan and spices to the zoodles in the skillet.
    The zucchini noodles are ready in the skillet.
    Zucchini noodles are ready and served on a white plate.

    Expert Tip

    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 ensure you 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.

    Recipe FAQs

    Do zucchini noodles taste like pasta?

    Not exactly. Like many substitutes, this is an excellent one, and I find it very satisfying and amazingly close to the real thing. But it's still a substitute.

    How do you prevent the noodles from being soggy?

    Don't overcook them! They only need about 5 minutes in the pan, even less if your pan is hot. It's just like pasta - you want it al-dente, so you must ensure not to overcook it.
    Another tip is to use fresh zucchini spirals and avoid frozen spirals, which tend to become soggy and mushy.

    Can I substitute yellow squash for zucchini?

    Yes. Yellow squash will work just as well in this recipe, although it's not as common to find it already spiralized, so you'll need to spiralize it yourself.

    Serving Suggestions

    Zucchini noodles are the perfect side dish. They go well with many main courses, including baked salmon, chicken drumsticks, chicken patties, and pork tenderloin.

    They can also serve as an excellent bed for saucy dishes such as baked scallops, shrimp scampi, or pulled pork.

    As mentioned above, you can mix cooked protein (such as shredded chicken) into the noodles and turn them from a side dish into a main dish.

    I also like to serve them topped with meatballs, such as chicken meatballs or meatballs with tomato sauce.

    Storing Leftovers

    You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.

    If you like cold leftover pasta, you'll enjoy eating the leftovers cold. I certainly do!

    Buttered zucchini noodles served on a white plate with a napkin.

    More Noodle Recipes

    • Shirataki noodles are served on a white plate with a fork.
      Buttered Shirataki Noodles
    • Hearts of palm pasta served on a white plate with a fork.
      Hearts of Palm Pasta
    • Spaghetti squash noodles served with a fork.
      Spaghetti Squash Noodles
    • Shirataki sesame noodles served with chopsticks.
      Shirataki Sesame Noodles

    👩🏻‍🍳 I publish a new or updated recipe every month. Want these recipes in your inbox? Subscribe today! You can unsubscribe at any time.

    Recipe Card

    Zucchini noodles piled on a white plate.
    4.99 from 169 votes
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    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!
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time5 minutes mins
    Total Time10 minutes mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Italian
    Servings: 2 servings
    Calories: 185kcal
    Author: Vered DeLeeuw
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    Ingredients

    • 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
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
    • â…› teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 4 tablespoons Parmesan dry-grated

    Instructions

    • Heat the butter in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
    • When melted and foamy, add the 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.
    • Add the kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and parmesan. Mix and serve.

    Video

    Notes

    • 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 ensure you 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.
    • You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. If you like cold leftover pasta, you'll enjoy eating these leftovers cold. I certainly do!

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    Nutrition per Serving

    Serving: 0.5recipe | Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Sodium: 474mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g
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    DisclaimersMost of our recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read our Terms of Use carefully before using any of our recipes.

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    About the Author

    Vered Deleeuw Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. Click to learn more about Vered.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Max

      September 16, 2023 at 1:53 am

      5 stars
      I had zucchini noodles before but never added parmesan. Wow! What a game-changer. Thank you for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Vered DeLeeuw

        September 16, 2023 at 10:47 am

        You're very welcome, Max! Thank you for leaving a comment.

        Reply
    2. Jess

      July 20, 2023 at 7:13 pm

      5 stars
      First time I’d ever eaten any type of zucchini noodle and this was absolutely amazing! I will be using this recipe again and again!

      Reply
      • Vered DeLeeuw

        July 20, 2023 at 10:19 pm

        So glad you liked these noodles, Jess!

        Reply
    3. Colleen Seaman

      June 01, 2023 at 5:17 pm

      Hi! I decided to loosely follow your recipe: I added chicken & mushrooms plus some different seasonings. It was so good. I grilled the chicken separately then chopped it up and tossed it in.

      Reply
      • Vered DeLeeuw

        June 01, 2023 at 5:31 pm

        Sounds really good, Colleen! Glad you enjoyed it.

        Reply

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    Healthy Recipes Blog was founded in 2011 by Vered DeLeeuw. It features real food recipes with a focus on low-carb and gluten-free ingredients. All recipes are nutritionally reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. Contact us at HealthyRecipesBlog@gmail.com.


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