Zucchini Spaghetti (aka zoodles) mixed with a quick and easy tomato sauce! A healthy low-carb Summer Dinner that can be made in under 30 minutes. Serve this Zucchini spaghetti with a crispy baguette and side salad to make it a meal!

Lightened-up pasta dishes make eating healthy SO easy! Try my Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo which has under 500 calories per portion, and my Healthy Shrimp Scampi is super light and tasty!

Zucchini pasta in a stainless steel pot with hand holding tongs.

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    Zucchini Spaghetti Recipe

    If you haven’t made zucchini noodles you are missing out! They are full of flavor, healthy, and not to mention are gluten-free, low carb and vegetarian! What’s not to love! During the summer we have zucchini noodles about once a week! My zucchini is always in surplus this time of year and when I get sick of making zucchini muffins and cookies I turn to noodles!

    Instead of regular pasta zucchini is cut into the shape of noodles with the help of a Vegetable SlicerThey are a great way to sneak some extra vegetables into your diet. The noodles are then tossed in a simple easy homemade tomato sauce.

    You can enjoy these zucchini noodles raw or cooked. You can add the raw noodles directly to the sauce or saute them in a bit of oil before adding them in. I’ve done both methods and they both work great!

    I love making this zucchini pasta with tomato sauce on busy weeknights. This recipe only takes 30 minutes to make, it can be made in one pan, plus it’s a healthy dinner you don’t have to feel guilty about eating!

    For a twist try my Zucchini Noodles with Pesto or my Zucchini Shrimp Scampi!

    ingredients

    • Zucchini: I used a vegetable spiralizer to cut 4 zucchinis into noodles. This technique works with other vegetables too like carrots and sweet potatoes. It’s so handy to have in your kitchen!
    • Onion & garlic: Plenty of authentic Italian flavor lies in these two ingredients. Add some Italian herbs and it tastes just like the real deal.
    • Tomatoes: Canned crushed tomatoes are added to make the tomato sauce robust and super flavorful. Canned diced tomatoes would be great as well. I like that these two options add a little chunkiness to the tomato sauce.
    • Seasoning: Dried oregano brings a delicious aroma and red pepper flakes add just a hint of heat. If you like spice add a little more of the red pepper flakes into this Zucchini Pasta dish!
    • Basil: You can’t beat the taste of fresh herbs in just about any savory dish. Fresh basil complements Italian cooking perfectly.
    • Parmesan: Completely optional, I like to grate a little parmesan cheese over my pasta to finish it off. Skip it or add a plant based-alternative to keep this zucchini pasta vegan.

    How to make Zucchini Noodles

    spiralizing zucchini
    • Prepare the sauce for zucchini noodles: Add oil to a large saucepan. Add in onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender. Next, add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add in crushed tomatoes, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a light simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
    simmering tomato sauce
    • Add zucchini noodles to the sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender.
    adding zucchini to tomato sauce
    • Serve: Stir in basil and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately.
    tossing zucchini in Tomato Sauce

    kelley’s tips

    • Add protein: While I do enjoy zucchini pasta as is you can add your favorite choice of protein to them! Chicken, beef, shrimp, ground turkey, or sausage are all great choices. I also love adding homemade meatballs to this!
    • More veggies! Add even more veggies to the sauce by sautéing finely chopped carrot or celery!
    • Make it vegan by grating a plant-based parmesan over the zucchini pasta at the end.

    how to store spaghetti with zucchini

    • Store: Leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
    • Reheat: In a large skillet and simmer until heated through and the sauce has thickened.
    Zucchini Noodles in Tomato Sauce in a white bowl with a fork.

    what to serve with zucchini spaghetti

    frequently asked questions

    Is zucchini pasta healthy?

    Yes! It is made 100% of zucchini which is so good for you. Zucchini, which is technically a fruit, is rich in many nutrients such as Vitamin A, Manganese, Vitamin C, Potassium, Magneseum, Vitamin K, folate, Copper, Phosphorous, Vitamin B6, and Thiamine.

    Is zucchini spaghetti high in carbs?

    Spaghetti zucchini is very low carb! This recipe comes to 12g net carbs per serving compared to dry spaghetti pasta which comes to 35.7g net carbs per 100g, and let’s be honest, it’s hard to only have 100g of pasta!

    How do you make zoodles not soggy?

    My best tip for making zucchini noodles not soggy or watery is to not overcook the zucchini, and also use salt sparingly. Salt and heat both draw the moisture out of the zucchini. I only cook mine for 2-3 minutes in the pasta sauce so they are “al dente” and not soggy at all.

    If you like this recipe then you’ll love my Zucchini Noodle Stir Fry!

    Zucchini pasta in a stainless steel pot with tongs.

    Love this recipe? Here are more Italian Favorites to try!

    Zucchini “Pasta” with Tomato Sauce

    4.96 from 21 votes
    Gluten Free Zucchini “Pasta” mixed with a quick and easy tomato sauce! A healthy meal that can be made in under 30 minutes.
    Servings: 4
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes

    Ingredients 

    Instructions 

    • Add oil to a large saucepan. Add is onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender. Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute.
    • Add in crushed tomatoes, oregano and red pepper flakes. Bring to a light simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
    • Add zucchini noodles to the sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender.
    • Stir in basil and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 106kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 4gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 138mgPotassium: 819mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 632IUVitamin C: 46mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 2mg

    Did you make this?

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