Name: Zucchini Pasta (Zoodles) Recipe
Prep time: 75 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 1 lb. yellow zucchini; 1 lb. green zucchini; 2 tsp. salt (ground Himalayan); 2 tbsp. olive oil

Zucchini Pasta (Zoodles) Recipe

Team Verywell Fit

Updated on February 01, 2022

Medically reviewed by

Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, LDN

(54 ratings)

Total Time: 80 min

Prep Time: 75 min

Cook Time: 5 min

Servings: 4 (1 cup each)

Nutrition Highlights (per serving)

96 calories

7g fat

7g carbs

3g protein

Show Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 (1 cup each)
Amount per serving
Calories	96
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g	9%
Saturated Fat 1g	5%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 17mg	1%
Total Carbohydrate 7g	3%
Dietary Fiber 2g	7%
Total Sugars 5g
Includes 0g Added Sugars	0%
Protein 3g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 35mg	3%
Iron 1mg	6%
Potassium 562mg	12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Is pasta on your forbidden foods list because you're trying to cut down on calories and carbohydrates? Well, you can put pasta dishes back on the menu by using "zoodles" instead of semolina or whole wheat pasta. Pasta dishes reduce calories and gain nutritional value when zucchini noodles—called "zoodles"—are used.

Reducing carbohydrates may be beneficial for some people, such as diabetics. Choosing zucchini noodles over starchy ones can help reduce the carb content of your meal. It's also ideal for those on a gluten free diet or anyone wanting to add more nutrients to their meal.

Zucchini is chock full of nutrients, including minerals, carotenoids, vitamin C, and phenolic compounds. These micronutrients—especially the carotenoids—in zucchini may have an anti-cancer effect, according to research.

The trick to incorporating zucchini pasta into your regular pasta dishes is getting the texture perfect so it's not mushy. This recipe helps you perfect zucchini noodles so that they are more like fettuccine or linguine, depending on how wide you cut them. They go especially well with pesto sauce as a side dish or as a main course.

To make zucchini noodles, you will need either a vegetable peeler, mandolin, or spiralizer. The spiralizer makes for the least amount of work (if you get a good quality tool) as it just requires you to rotate the handle or twist the top until you are left with a beautiful pile of zucchini curls.

Ingredients

1 lb. yellow zucchini
1 lb. green zucchini
2 tsp. salt (ground Himalayan)
2 tbsp. olive oil

Preparation

If using a vegetable peeler, peel strips of zucchini, working your way around the squash until you reach the seeds. You can also use a mandolin or spiralizer for this, following your gadget's instructions.
Put the zucchini strips in a colander or strainer, sprinkle with a liberal amount of salt, and toss to coat. Put the colander in a bowl and put a small plate on top to squeeze out the juice.
To speed things up, put some weight on the plate, such as a can of food. You can leave it like this for 1 hour, or up to 24 hours. Toss the strips with your fingers midway to make sure the brine is well-distributed.
Place the zucchini into the colander. Rinse the salt off to press the excess water or spread the "noodles" out on a cotton dish towel or paper towels and blot dry.
The zucchini pasta is now ready to eat (it doesn't really need cooking) but is more like pasta if gently warmed up; saute in olive oil heated to medium-high for 1 to 5 minutes. If you cook it longer, it may stick together or become mushy.

Variations and Substitutions

Different types of vegetables can be made into noodles. Try carrots, parsnips, butternut squash, or other firm vegetables. But note that when using other vegetables, especially firmer, starchier vegetables, cooking times may vary.

Use any type of oil you'd like, such as grapeseed oil or coconut oil.

Try cooking zucchini noodles in garlic oil, or sautée them with garlic for added flavor.

Cooking and Serving Tips

Try these combinations to create the perfect veggie pasta dishes, or you can even add meat or seafood to your zucchini pasta masterpiece. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze raw, fully thaw and cook. Can be frozen indefinitely but ideally up to six months for best results.

Alfredo sauce with fresh garlic
Feta cheese, grape tomatoes, and walnuts with a splash of olive oil
Sun-dried tomatoes, red bell pepper strips, basil leaves, and mashed avocado
Purchased Thai peanut sauce (or make your own with peanut butter, red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, and a splash of sesame oil).

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