Zucchini Noodles (Zoodles)
How to make and cook zoodles that stay springy, not soggy — with spiralizer, julienne-peeler and ribbon methods.
Nutrition per serving
1 cup- Net carbs
- 4.7g
- Calories
- 66kcal
- Protein
- 2.5g
- Fat
- 4g
- Total carbs
- 6.8 g
- Fiber
- 2.1 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Pesto & cherry tomato: Tossed with basil pesto and blistered cherry tomatoes — a side that can double as a light lunch.
- Blister the tomatoes in the hot oil for 2–3 minutes, until they start to collapse, before adding the garlic.
- Warm the zoodles through, then take the pan off the heat and toss with the pesto — heat dulls the basil.
Sesame-ginger: An Asian-style toss with tamari, fresh ginger, toasted sesame oil and green onion, for serving with salmon, chicken or stir-fries.
- Fry the ginger with the garlic. If you sweat the noodles, rinse them briefly after salting so the tamari does not make them too salty.
- Season the noodles with tamari instead of salt, then finish off the heat with the sesame oil, green onions and sesame seeds.
- Nice to have (optional)
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
-
½ tsp saltleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $4.35 for 4 servings ($1.09 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Make the noodles. Spiralizer: center a zucchini on the spaghetti or fettuccine blade and crank it into long strands, then snip them every 8–10 inches (20–25 cm) with kitchen scissors so they twirl easily. Julienne peeler: draw it down the length of the zucchini, rotating as you go and stopping at the seedy core. Regular vegetable peeler: shave wide ribbons for a pappardelle-style noodle.
-
For saucy dishes, sweat the noodles first: toss them with the salt in a colander, let them drain for 15–20 minutes, then gently squeeze handfuls in a clean towel. (For a quick toss with butter or pesto you can skip this and season with the salt at the end.)
-
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
-
Add the zoodles and toss with tongs for 1–3 minutes, just until warmed through and barely tender. Pull them off the heat while they still have some bite — they keep softening on the plate.
-
Season with pepper (and salt, if you didn't sweat them) and top with your sauce of choice — basil pesto, alfredo or marinara — and a shower of parmesan.
Tips for success
-
Overcooking is the number-one zoodle mistake. Two minutes in the pan is plenty; any longer and the zucchini collapses and weeps water into your sauce. - Warm the sauce separately and toss it with the noodles off the heat, or spoon it on top — simmering zoodles in sauce waters it down. They also work raw: a warm sauce poured over raw spirals softens them just enough.
- Save the leftover seedy cores for soups or omelets. See zoodles in action in chicken alfredo and shrimp scampi.
Nice to have, not needed
- A spiralizer makes the longest, springiest strands — a julienne peeler, or a regular peeler for ribbons, works without one.
Storage & meal prep
- Keeps 1 day in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Warm in a hot skillet for about 1 minute, or eat cold like a noodle salad.
Prep tip: For meal prep, spiralize up to 4 days ahead and keep the raw noodles in a paper-towel-lined container; cook them just before eating.
Raw spiralized zoodles keep up to 4 days in a paper-towel-lined container in the fridge. Cooked zoodles are best eaten right away, and they don't freeze well.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosPesto & cherry tomato
FlavorTossed with basil pesto and blistered cherry tomatoes — a side that can double as a light lunch.
- + ¼ cup basil pesto
- + 1 cup cherry tomatoes
6.4 g net · 137 kcal · 3.6 g protein · 11 g fat · ≈$1.69 per serving (+1.7 g net carbs vs the original)
Sesame-ginger
FlavorAn Asian-style toss with tamari, fresh ginger, toasted sesame oil and green onion, for serving with salmon, chicken or stir-fries.
- olive oil or butter → avocado oil
- + 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- + 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- + 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- + 2 stalks green onions
- + 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- no salt
5.8 g net · 97 kcal · 3.6 g protein · 6.4 g fat · ≈$1.35 per serving (+1.1 g net carbs vs the original)
Save it for later
Pin this recipe to your keto board so it’s there when you plan next week.
Save to Pinterest
