My favorite way to cook zucchini noodles! See how to make the recipe for 20-minute zucchini noodle pasta with garlic, tomatoes, basil and parmesan cheese. Low carb, keto and vegetarian!
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Related: These easy and cheesy baked zucchini chips are perfect for serving with dinner or just as an afternoon snack.
Guilt-free, 20-minute zucchini pasta
We are in love with this easy Zoodles recipe. There are fresh zucchini, tomatoes, basil, parmesan and garlic. The best part? It only takes 20 minutes to prepare. It’s also low in calories and carbs while maximizing flavor! Enjoy these as a snack, or add protein like baked tofu, stir-fried shrimp, or juicy chicken.
This recipe is quick and easy. It also adapts. We love it when made with 100% zucchini noodles (basically, spaghetti made from zucchini), but you can always combine zucchini noodles and regular spaghetti for a little more sticking power.
This zucchini pasta recipe is all about fresh ingredients. The zucchini should be firm and the tomatoes sweet. If you have a hard time finding good, flavorful tomatoes, it’s better to use canned goods. We love canned San Marzano tomatoes and the Muir Glen options.
How to make zucchini noodles with and without a spiralizer
Zucchini noodles are spaghetti-like strands of zucchini. You can make them in a variety of ways. Here’s how to make them:
The easiest way to make zucchini noodles is to use a spiralizer. They make long, curly noodles in minutes. A spiralizer is a great tool to add to your kitchen. We purchased ours on Amazon for less than $30. There are a wide variety of brands and price points to choose from, and you may even find that some food processors come with a spiralizer attachment now as well.
No spiralizer, no problem! You can also use a julienne vegetable peeler. These come in under $10 and might even be hiding in your kitchen gadget drawer right now.
Most mandolin slicers will make noodles or try to use a standard vegetable peeler and make wide noodles.
Depending on where you shop, you may even find that you can buy spiralized zucchini in the past. I’ve seen ready-made zoodles sold at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and even some Safeway stores.
Once you have noodles, you are ready to cook them. (Or don’t, and try our Zucchini Noodle Salad!)
Our best tips for cooking zoodles so they’re tasty and not soggy
Zucchini is mostly water, so cooking it can be tricky. Here are our tips for cooking it so it’s not soggy.
- Do not peel zucchini. Peeled zucchini noodles are mushy and not crunchy.
- Zucchini should not be salted before cooking or while it is cooking in the pan. Salt draws water from the zucchini, making it less crunchy when cooked. Since salt makes it taste good, we prefer to salt the sauce rather than the zucchini.
- Do not overcook. Just like making regular spaghetti, cook zucchini noodles to al dente. They are ready when they are wilted but still have a crunch.
Since cooked zucchini tends to be watery, we do our best in the recipe to reduce this as much as possible. However, you will still find some water left at the bottom of the serving bowl. Not that that’s a bad thing. The liquid is mixed with tomatoes, garlic, cheese and olive oil, so it’s delicious.
More vegetable recipes
Guilt-Free Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Pasta
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We are in love with this easy zucchini noodle recipe. There are fresh zucchini, tomatoes, basil, parmesan and garlic. Plus, it only takes 20 minutes to make. Make it with 100% zucchini noodles, or replace half the zucchini with regular spaghetti for a heartier meal.
For a vegetarian option, omit the Parmesan cheese, replace it with your favorite vegetarian-friendly cheese, or use nutritional yeast.
Makes 4 servings
Watch us prepare the recipe
you will need
4 medium zucchini (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 to 4 cloves)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you like your pasta
2 medium tomatoes, chopped, see note (about 12 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving, see notes for alternatives
1 cup basil leaves, torn into pieces
1 teaspoon corn starch
2 teaspoons of cold water
salt to taste
Arrival instructions
- Prepare zucchini noodles
1Cut and spiralize the zucchini (see notes below to do this without a spiralizer). Then cut the spiral zucchini into long noodles about the length of spaghetti.
2Add olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes to a large, deep pan. Turn to medium heat. When the oil bubbles around the garlic, add the zucchini noodles.
3Toss the noodles with pasta tongs and cook until al dente – they should be wilted but still have a crunch; 5 to 7 minutes. Do not let the noodles cook any longer or they will become mushy. While they cook, keep tossing so that all the zucchini noodles have a chance to hit the bottom of the pan.
4Stir in the tomatoes, basil and Parmesan cheese, then cook for one minute. Use the pasta tongs to transfer the noodles, tomatoes and basil to a serving plate. Leave the liquid in the pan.
- to finish
1Bring the remaining liquid in the pan to a boil.
2Mix cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl, then whisk into the boiling liquid. Cook while whisking until the liquid thickens into a sauce; About 1 minute. Taste the sauce and season with salt.
3Pour the sauce over the zucchini, tomatoes and basil. Finish with more parmesan cheese on top and serve immediately.
Adam and Joan’s tips
- Making zucchini noodles without a spiralizer: The spiralizer is not the only way to make noodles. You can use a julienne vegetable peeler or a mandolin. You can also use a regular vegetable peeler to make wide noodles or ribbons.
- Tomatoes: Other varieties of tomatoes work (like cherry tomatoes), you need 12 oz. Canned tomatoes also work, maybe you should stop some of the liquid in the can.
- Don’t be surprised if liquid accumulates at the bottom of the serving dish. It’s mixed with tomatoes, garlic, cheese and olive oil, so it’s delicious.
- Parmesan cheese may not be vegetarian. Substitute any vegetarian-friendly hard cheese or use nutritional yeast. When using nutritional yeast, add according to your taste. I would start with two tablespoons and increase from there.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts listed below are estimates. We used the USDA database to calculate approximate values. We put 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and tag it #inspiredtaste — we love seeing your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
nutrition per serving
portion size
1/4 of the recipe
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calories
197
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protein
10.7 grams
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carbohydrate
11.2 grams
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Dietary fiber
3.4 grams
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Total sugars
1.7 grams
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total fat
14.3 grams
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Saturated fat
3.4 grams
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Cholesterol
7.2 mg
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sodium
471.4 mg
