15 Zucchini Noodle Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to cook zoodles without getting soggy? ›

To avoid soggy and limp noodles, I recommend cooking for only 3-5 minutes (5 if you're cooking more than 1-2 spiralized zucchinis) and tossing frequently. You want a slightly al dente noodle.

Zucchini is low in fat, sugar, and calories, and high in vitamin C and fiber, making it a great substitute for traditional pasta noodles. Fiber helps to regulate bowels and maintain good digestive health, and vitamin C acts as an antioxidant to protect cells.

Benefits of Eating Zucchini Noodles

If you are trying to eat low-carb, that is a huge difference! More fiber: Zucchini contains more grams of fiber per serving than regular pasta, which helps your digestive function, aids in weight loss, helps control blood sugar levels, lowers cholesterol, and more.

Plus, making your own zucchini noodles is cheaper than buying them at the store, and it's fun to transform a vegetable into your favorite pasta shapes.

The excess moisture will evaporate as they cook! Pat them dry. Use paper towels to remove any remaining moisture, then toss with your favorite sauce.

If you're already cooking on the stovetop, sautéing your noodles may be the easiest. Just add one tablespoon of olive oil or avocado oil to a pan and sauté for 1-2 minutes. This is a perfect cooking method if you're making zucchini pasta with lemon garlic shrimp – or something similar.

ZOODLES PRIMAVERA

Zucchini noodles tossed in a light basil cream sauce with broccoli, carrots, seasoned tomatoes, roasted red peppers and mushrooms.

In terms of taste, zucchini noodles take on the flavors of your sauces and dressings, and some people find it lighter and refreshing than traditional pasta. While there's nothing wrong with having pasta once in a while, zucchini noodles are the perfect option if you're looking for a lighter vegetable alternative.

Zucchini may promote healthy digestion in several ways. For starters, it's rich in water, which can soften stools. This makes them easier to pass and reduces your chances of constipation ( 7 ). Zucchini also contains both soluble and insoluble fiber.

If you're storing them in the fridge for more than a day or two, you may want to switch out the paper towels as they become damp. My Verdict – This is the best (and really only) way to store zoodles. They'll last about 4-5 days in the fridge.

How many calories are in 2 cups of zucchini noodles? ›

Compare two cups of pasta weighing in at 480 calories, 90 grams of carbs, and two grams of fiber with two cups of zucchini zoodles at 66 calories, twelve grams of carbs, and four grams of fiber.

While it's commonly served cooked, many people enjoy eating zucchini raw too, as it works great in salads, with dips, as a wrap, or even spiralized to make low-carb noodles.

A note on serving size. We recommend spiralizing just about 1 pound of zucchini per serving (for a large, lunch or dinner-sized meal) – that equates to about two medium sized zucchinis or 2 cups, cooked.

Salt and wrap your zoodles.

Let them sit for about 10–15 minutes — just enough time for the salt to extract the moisture. You may have to change the paper towels depending on how damp they get, but a gentle squeeze at the end will drain any leftover water before you sauté.

Add zucchini noodles. Toss with tongs and let the zucchini cook for just a minute or two. Remove from heat and add to sauce or add some salt and eat as is. Note: Don't salt the zucchini before you saute it; the noodles will release more water and they'll end up limp.

Don't overcrowd the pan, which can cause the zucchini to steam instead of roast. Unless you have time to salt and drain the zucchini, wait to salt it until after they're cooked so the salt doesn't draw out the moisture in the oven—this can lead to sogginess.

Mushy veggies are also often the result of overcooking. When the interior is loaded with moisture, you have to cook it for much longer to evaporate all of the water and avoid the interior having the unappealing, spongy, raw texture that eggplant and zucchini are notorious for.