Cooking and Meal Prep Recipes Zucchini Pasta (Zoodles) Recipe By Team Verywell Fit Team Verywell Fit Our team is passionate about being a resource for credible and up-to-date information on all nutrition and exercise topics. Learn about our editorial process Updated on February 01, 2022 Medically reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and nutrition and exercise healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, LDN Medically reviewed by Kristy Del Coro, MS, RDN, LDN Kristy is a licensed registered dietitian nutritionist and trained culinary professional. She has worked in a variety of settings, including MSKCC and Rouge Tomate. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print littleny / Getty Images (56 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 Hide 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 garlicFeta cheese, grape tomatoes, and walnuts with a splash of olive oilSun-dried tomatoes, red bell pepper strips, basil leaves, and mashed avocadoPurchased Thai peanut sauce (or make your own with peanut butter, red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, and a splash of sesame oil). Rate this Recipe You've already rated this recipe. Thanks for your rating! 1 Source Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Martínez-Valdivieso D, Font R, Fernández-Bedmar Z, et al. Role of zucchini and its distinctive components in the modulation of degenerative processes: genotoxicity, anti-genotoxicity, cytotoxicity and apoptotic effects. Nutrients. 2017;9(7):755. By Team Verywell Fit At Verywell Fit, we are dedicated to empowering you with the best answers to your most pressing questions, from healthy eating to exercise and everything in between. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Helpful Report an Error Other Submit Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from companies that partner with and compensate Verywell Fit for displaying their offer. These partnerships do not impact our editorial choices or otherwise influence our editorial content.