This is the best recipe for Zucchini Noodles you will find. If you have heard of zoodles then you know that they are made from zucchini cut into the shape of spaghetti or noodles and eaten as a substitute for pasta. They can be eaten as a side dish or a main meal.

In this post, we are going to show you how to make and cook zucchini noodles. I love them so much because they are easy to make and a delicious replacement for pasta, and at the same time are full of essential vitamins and minerals as most veggies are!  

They can be a side dish or used as a main dish, whatever your preference is. Because they are so adaptable that you can serve them with tomato sauce, or garlic olive oil sauce, seafood sauce, pesto…etc. Our family loves them and my hopes are that your family will too, so let’s proceed to show you how to make and cook zoodles.

What are Zucchini Noodles (Zoodles)?

Simply put, the definition of zucchini noodles is zucchini spiralized into noodles, which means, for instance, forming long spiral strands. They have the nickname of zoodles, for short.

Then after they are spiralized into the desired shape they can be cooked in so many various ways, or even eaten raw.

Do Zucchini Noodles Taste Like Pasta?

Everyone’s taste buds are different but In my opinion, I do not think that the zoodles taste exactly like pasta, they just take on the shapes of spaghetti and noodles and they are very delicious.

The experience of eating zoodles is quite close to eating pasta though because the texture is pretty close, and when you cover the zucchini noodles with various sauces, it makes them taste so yummy. For instance, if you put tomato sauce and meatballs on top of your zucchini noodles you will think that you are eating pasta.

Are Zucchini Noodles Healthy?

Let me share with you some reasons why eating zoodles is so good for you. Of course like all vegetables, zucchini has lots of vitamins and minerals.

• Low in calories – 1 cup has 20 calories
• Low in carbs – 1 cup has 2.5 net carbs
• High in antioxidants
• It has zero fat
• High in water
• High in fiber

When you compare zucchini noodles with regular pasta, 1 cup of regular pasta has 210 calories and 40 carbs. That is quite a big difference for people counting their carbs and watching their weight. 

If you are like me I love pasta and 1 cup was never enough, and instead, you can eat 2 cups of zucchini noodles and only have 10 carbs and 40 calories! A great choice if you ask me.

What Ingredients Do You Need to Make Zoodles?

• Zucchini – Obviously the most crucial ingredient in making zoodles is zucchini.
• Salt and Pepper – Basic spices/seasonings that add just a little flavor to the noodles. Feel free to add any other spices you may like. 
• Olive Oil – This is a good oil to use to saute the noodles in your frying pan. You can sub it out for avocado oil or coconut oil. 
• Parmesan Cheese –  Could be an option to add to the basic recipe too if you love cheese, but it’s completely up to you.

Fresh vs. Pre-Packaged Zucchini Noodles

When you eat fresh food it is always the best even though you can also eat pre-packaged foods, especially when we are busy and don’t have as much time to cook as we may want to. 

When the package comes from the store already spiralized I think they must add water to keep it fresh for some reason. What I have found when buying the pre-packaged zucchini noodles is that since they are wet they have the appearance of already being cooked because they are already soft, so when you use them you can’t really cook them too much or they will really be mushy.

That is why we prefer making fresh zucchini noodles. When you spiralize them yourself they are very fresh and a little crunchy, so when you cook them they stay al dente which in my opinion that is the best way to eat the zoodles.

Picking Out Zucchini

Picking out zucchini is a very easy job. You can buy them in the store or grow them in the garden.

The first thing to do is to make sure that when you pick out zucchini you get the ones that look good, the ones that do not have any soft spots, or scrapes…etc. Also, make sure that they are medium to dark green, not pale in color with smooth skin.

If your zucchini is overripe then the noodles will be soft and mushy, so a firm zucchini is best.

Large zucchinis are usually too watery so use the medium to small-sized zucchinis that are firm in texture. Large zucchinis are also not as flavorful, whereas smaller ones have a much better flavor to them. 

Zucchini skin is another consideration. The bigger the zucchini gets, the skin gets thicker and tougher which is not good for making zoodles. 

One more tip in picking out some fresh ones to make zucchini noodles with is to buy zucchini with the stems still attached because they will last longer if you don’t get a chance to use them right away.

Buying Frozen

I have also bought zoodles frozen for a quick veggie for dinner. They have their place if you are in a hurry but I’m not a fan because for the same reason I mentioned earlier. They are too soft once you cook frozen zucchini noodles.

Zoodle Shapes

Just like pasta has many varieties to choose from, the same is true of zoodles. When you want to make pasta, sometimes you feel like spaghetti and sometimes lasagna, and the same is true with zucchini noodles. We will show you how to make zucchini noodles into all shapes and sizes and then how to cook zucchini noodles.

• Angel Hair – A very thin and long noodle. 
• Spaghetti – The most basic type of zoodle to make and goes in almost any recipe you want to make.
• Fettuccine – This is also a long noodle but flat and wider than spaghetti.
• Lasagna – A noodle that you can make and layer with meat, cheese and sauce.
• Pappardelle – This is a ribbon shaped noodle and even wider than fettuccine.

How to Make Zucchini Noodles

There are many shapes and sizes that you can make zucchini noodles in. The most common one that you will see is spaghetti. So I would recommend starting with that and then you could always progress into trying other shapes. 

There are a few different tools that you can use to accomplish this task. I will try to give you my opinion of the pros and cons of each method along with the tools used to accomplish making them.

Here are the most common tools used to make zucchini noodles:

• Countertop Spiralizer
• Handheld Spiralizer
• Vegetable Peeler
• Julienne Peeler
• Mandolin Slicer
• Knife

Do I Need to Peel them First?

When making zucchini noodles you do not need to peel them first before spiralizing them. In fact, when we share with you how to make zoodles, one key point is that the zoodles stay more firm and in shape by not peeling the skin off of them. When the flesh is exposed, the moisture will start to leak out, then the zucchini will become soggy and you will have a mushy mess when cooked. 

So by keeping the skin on, your zoodles will be firmer and there are also many nutrients in the skin like a lot of other fruits and veggies.

Cutting and Preparing

Before we can talk about how to cook zucchini noodles we need to prepare them for cooking. 

First, wash the zucchini and then dry them off with a paper towel.

Next, Cut off the ends.

Now we have to choose which way we want to make zucchini noodles including the noodle shape and size. This will determine the way we cut the zucchini.

With a Spiralizer

Spiralized noodles are easy to find in the store but they are much better if you can spiralize them yourself. Once I learned how to make them I never buy them pre-made anymore. When you do them yourself they taste much fresher and will last longer too.

Using a spiralizer is the easiest way to make zoodles, and they come in two forms: Countertop Spiralizer and a Hand Spiralizer.  Each has its pros and cons.

Countertop Spiralizer

Pros – A Countertop spiralizer is the best type to use in this zucchini noodles recipe. It clamps down to the counter so it won’t move around while you are working on it. It’s easy to use, easy to clean, and is small so it doesn’t take up much space in your cabinet. 

It makes the zoodles uniform in thickness and they come out with some very long, spaghetti-like pieces. So much so that you can twirl them on your fork and makes you feel like you are really eating spaghetti. 

The best part is it also has many different blades that you can change out to make other shapes of noodles.

Cons – The only downside to using a countertop spiralizer is that it is the most expensive tool out of all methods. Other than that, this is a wonderful way to make zoodles and the preferred method.

How to Do It:

1. Take the spiralizer and secure it down on the counter with the clamp on the bottom.
2. Adjust the spiralizer tray to fit the length of the zucchini. 
3. Insert the zucchini onto the spiralizer, skewer one end to the side with the blade and the other end to the side with the handle.
4. Start to crank the handle continuously and watch the zoodles come out the end.

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Handheld Spiralizer

Pros – One good thing about a handheld spiralizer is that it’s smaller than the countertop spiralizer so takes up less room in the kitchen. 

There’s a handheld spiralizer by KitchenAid that costs a little more money than other handheld spiralizers, but also can be used on other veggies to make that are a bit harder than zucchini noodles, such as sweet potato and butternut squash. 

Cons – It requires more effort than the countertop spiralizer and the noodles tend to come out much shorter than the countertop version.

How to Do It:

1. Cut off the ends. 
2. Insert one end into the spiralizer.
3. Twist the zucchini with one hand while holding the spiralizer steady with the other.

Without a Spiralizer

If you don’t have a spiralizer then you can also use a peeler or a knife but they will both take more time to make zucchini noodles than a spiralizer will.

Using a Vegetable Peeler

If you have a peeler then you can use that to make zucchini noodles. A regular vegetable peeler will create wide zucchini noodles similar to lasagna or pappardelle. 

Pros – You don’t have to spend money on a tool that you don’t have, you can just use what you have in your kitchen. Certain peelers can make noodles that resemble pappardelle pasta or short lasagna type noodles.

Cons – It can be tedious and time-consuming. The zoodles usually turn out to be much shorter than with the spiralizer.

How to Do It:

1. Cut off the ends of the zucchini.
2. Pick up the zucchini in your hand and run the peeler across the zucchini lengthwise from top to bottom and watch the lasagna type noodles appear. Continue until the entire zucchini is finished.
3. Repeat with more zucchini until you have enough noodles.

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Using a Julienne Peeler

A julienne peeler will create thin spaghetti-like noodles, to the length of the zucchini you use.

Pros – The same pros as a regular peeler. You don’t have to spend money on a tool that you don’t have, you can just use what you have in your kitchen. I bought my julienne peeler on Amazon for about $5.00. 

Cons –The zoodles usually turn out to be much shorter than with the spiralizer. You won’t be able to twirl the noodles with a fork. 

How to Do It: 

1. Cut off the ends of the zucchini.
2. Pick up the zucchini in your hand and run the julienne peeler across the zucchini lengthwise from top to bottom and watch the thin noodles appear. Continue until the entire zucchini is finished.
3. Repeat with more zucchini until you have enough noodles.

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Mandoline Slicer

When you use the mandoline slicer it can give you strands similar to spaghetti but much shorter. The pieces will come out only as long as the zucchini itself, unlike the spiralizer that produces strands even longer than the zucchini itself and also longer than regular spaghetti.

Pros – This slicer is usually very sharp and can certainly handle the job of slicing the zucchini into strips. It can do a decent job at making slices that can be used to make lasagna or pappardelle shaped noodles.

Cons – You can’t really get strands that resemble spaghetti or angel hair or any kind of noodles that are long in length. Be careful of the slicer…it is very sharp and will take a slice out of your finger if you get it too close, so go slow and easy.

How to Do It:

1. Raise the zucchini up over the slicer and slide it down until it makes a slice. 
2. Raise it back up off the slicer and repeat the procedure until all of the zucchini is finished.

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Knife and Peeler

This way is if you have a regular vegetable peeler that you would use to make lasagna noodles with. But instead of leaving them long and flat, using a knife, you can cut the lasagna noodles into skinny strips. 

Pros – Using a regular vegetable peeler and a knife is the most basic way to make zoodles. Everyone typically has a regular vegetable peeler and at least one knife in their kitchen so if you don’t have any of these other tools then you can always it to make zoodles.

Cons – Instead of spaghetti-like strands that you get with a spiralizer, this is basically just cutting your zucchini into short, thin strips. Also, it’s very time-consuming to make the noodles this way and it’s hard to get the strips as thin as they should be. 

How to Do It:

1. After prepping the zucchini, get a knife and a cutting board. 
2. Pick up the zucchini in your hand and run the peeler across the zucchini lengthwise from top to bottom and watch the lasagna type noodles appear. 
3. Continue until the entire zucchini is finished.
4. Then stack the noodles on top of each other, and use a knife to cut lengthwise into skinny strips.

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Tip – As always be careful of your fingers with a sharp knife.

Squeezing the Water Out

No, you do not need to squeeze any water out of spiralized zucchini noodles. The more you handle the zucchini the more watery they can get. You could though pat them with a paper towel to try and remove some moisture before cooking them.

TIP: If you buy small and firm zucchini to make zoodles out of then you will not have watery zucchini. The larger the zucchini the more seeds it will have and likewise more water in the zoodles.

Do I Need to Salt Zoodles?

When making zucchini noodles some people salt them before cooking and some people don’t.

First of all the idea behind salting zucchini is similar to salting eggplant slices. When we make eggplant parmesan we salt it and the water releases and comes out which in turn helps the dish not to be watery. 

The problem in this recipe is that when the water comes out it automatically turns your zucchini moist and if you don’t get the water off of them you will be right back in the same mess with wet/soggy noodles. 

Salting zucchini can also leave it limp and salty tasting. Some people always do it, but we avoid salting our zucchini before cooking it. For some recipes, you don’t even need to cook the noodles, so in that case, you don’t want to salt the zucchini beforehand.

It is a matter of opinion, but we do NOT salt our zucchini at all before cooking it, we just spiralize it and go. If you follow the recommendations about not peeling it and not buying big zucchinis then you should be ok with not salting them. 

Of course, after you cook the zucchini noodles you can add salt to enhance the taste which we recommend doing.

TIP – If you do salt them, just make sure that you place the noodles in a colander in the sink for 30 minutes for the water to release, and pat dry.

How to Cook Zucchini Noodles

Once you know how to make zoodles, there are a few different ways that you can cook them. We’re going to cover the 6 most popular ways to cook zoodles.

Next, decide which way that you want to cook them. Here are the most common ways:

• Sauteed
• Baked
• Raw
• Boil
• Microwave
• Steaming

TIP – The goal to achieve when you learn how to cook zoodles is to make them al dente and dry!

Sauteed/Pan-fried

Why – The most popular method to cook zucchini noodles is to fry them in a pan because it’s easy to do. Cooking things on the stove just seems to be what most people are comfortable doing, the most common.

• TIP – If I notice any moisture at all after they are spiralized, I pat them dry with a paper towel. 

How to Do It:

1. Put a little olive oil in a frying pan and heat up the burner before adding the noodles.
2. Heat up the pan before adding the noodles. That way they cook faster and it doesn’t allow the zoodles to build up too much moisture.
3. Once the pan is heated then throw in your zucchini noodles and saute for about 5 minutes.
4. Do not cover the pan.
5. Take them out of the pan when they are al dente and cover with your favorite sauce.

And whatever you do, do NOT cover the pan with a lid, or else it will build up steam and become too moist. When you saute the zucchini noodles this way they are dry and not watery.

Baked in the oven

Why – The reason why some people aren’t crazy about veggies is because of how they are cooked. That’s why it’s good to learn how to cook zucchini noodles in the oven since zucchini noodles taste really good baked or roasted. Baking zucchini noodles is also very simple to do.

How to Do It:

1. What I like to do is to brush the cookie sheet with a thin layer of some olive oil. 
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cook for about 10-15 minutes. 
3. It’s important to spread your zucchini noodles on the sheet in a single layer so that they will not get mushy and will cook faster. Cooking the Zoodles this way creates dry noodles so, in turn, there will be a larger volume than if you cooked them any other way.

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When you bake the zoodles it’s a faster method because you don’t have to worry about draining any unwanted moisture, baking them in the oven will do that for you.

TIP – Do not overcook the zucchini noodles.  Once again al dente is the goal.

The worst thing about baking the noodles is that you need to turn on the oven which will heat up the kitchen. Unless you have air conditioning this may not be fun in the Summer.

Raw

I love the homemade zucchini noodles raw. Actually, it’s my favorite way with most of our zucchini recipes. Try it, you will love it.

Why – The reason behind eating them raw is that they keep their shape and taste. Once you cover them with hot tomato sauce or hot shrimp scampi sauce the heat of the sauce is just enough to slightly soften the zucchini noodles so that they resemble al dente texture. This way 

How to Do It: It’s so easy…just spiralize the zoodles and put them in a bowl and cover them with hot sauce and they are ready to eat. It’s as simple as that.

Boiled/Steamed

Why – The only way I can see myself boiling zucchini noodles is if I am making a pot of homemade soup. Then they make a great addition and for the soup, it’s normal to have soft veggies.

How to Do It – Just throw the zucchini noodles into a pot of boiling water and drain after 5 minutes. Or you can throw them right into a pot of soup and the heat from the soup is enough to soften the noodles.

Microwave

Why – Cooking zucchini noodles in the microwave has got to be the fastest way to cook them. We all know how quickly it heats things up or cooks things.

How to Do It – To proceed with this method just put your zucchini noodles in a microwave-safe dish and cook for 1 minute. If they are not cooked enough after 1 minute then try an extra 30 seconds.

What is the Best Way to Cook Zucchini Noodles?

For this zucchini noodles recipe, out of all these ways that we have talked about here, I think baking them in the oven is the best method to make zucchini noodles.

• They bake on their own, you don’t have to stand over them and stir them like some other methods.
• They come out dry…you don’t get moist and soggy noodles.

How Much Zucchini is the Same as 1 Cup of Pasta?

If you eat your zucchini noodles raw or just slightly cooked then they will measure about equal to pasta. You will find that 1 cup of zucchini noodles is equal to 1 cup of pasta.

How Do You Make Zucchini Noodles Not Soggy

When making this zucchini noodles recipe the goal is to prepare them so that they are not soggy. There’s nothing worse than twirling zoodles with your fork and having them fall apart.

If you buy fresh zoodles or frozen zucchini noodles they can be soggy when cooking them because, in my opinion, they are soggy to start with. 

One thing that can make your zucchini soggy is the way you cook it. I would suggest that you do not put a cover on it when you saute it, or when you cook it in the microwave. Also, be careful when you boil it or steam it. 

I still find that the best way to make zucchini noodles that are not soggy is to bake it in the oven or saute it on the stove.

Best Tips & Avoiding Problems

• One tip to remember when picking out zucchini is to buy them with the stem still attached because it will last longer in case you don’t cook them right away.
• Pick out zucchini that are not really large because they will have more seeds and the flavor will be blander.
• Look for smooth zucchini without any cuts or blemishes and not pale in color.
• Be careful when using the mandoline slicer because the blade is very sharp and you can easily cut your fingers or hand.
• If you decide to salt your zucchini, make sure that you place your noodles in a colander in the sink for 30 minutes to allow the water to drain off. Then pat dry.
• One thing to remember when making zucchini noodles recipe is…Do NOT overcook the zucchini noodles. Al dente is the desired goal.

Best Recipes with Zoodles

There are so many different recipes that you can make with zoodles, just like you would if you were eating regular pasta. Zucchini noodles are so versatile that so many sauces and other things go so well with them. Let’s share with you a few of our favorites.

• Garlic Parmesan – Add some fresh garlic and parmesan cheese to the zucchini noodles and saute.
• Pesto – A great addition to the zoodles is a fresh Basil Pesto with some garlic and olive oil.  our recipe on site
• With Shrimp – This is one of my favorite recipes….Who wouldn’t love shrimp scampi……shrimp mixed with olive oil, garlic, parsley, and scallions poured over the uncooked zucchini noodles.
• With Chicken – The same with chicken….olive oil, garlic and onions poured over uncooked zoodles.
• Spaghetti and Meatballs – This is the best topping for zucchini noodles. Homemade tomato sauce with meatballs over uncooked zucchini noodles.
• Olive Oil and Spices – Some good spices are crushed red pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning.
• Garlic Butter Steak Bites – Here is a winning recipe. Cut up pieces of steak smothered in garlic butter and poured over zucchini noodles.
• Asian Stir-Fry – Stir fry is great because you can mix whatever meat, seafood, and veggies that you like. If you want to try the Asian flare to the zucchini noodles then some suggestions would be water chestnuts, scallions, bean sprouts, and amino acids (substitute for soy sauce) all stir-fried together.
• Pasta Salad – Raw spiralized zucchini, homemade low carb dressing, cheese, Italian meats, and veggies. Pasta salad has never tasted so good or healthy.

Are Zucchini Noodles Keto-friendly?

Zucchini noodles are definitely Keto-friendly, with only 4 NET Carbs per cup. Add some low carb sauce, and some protein and you have a perfect Keto/low carb meal or side dish.

Diets This Recipe is Good For

• Keto/Low Carb – A perfect low carb vegetable that can fit perfectly into the Keto way of eating when mixed with some meat or fish and some olive oil or low carb sauce.
• Paleo – Zucchini is in the long list of acceptable and approved vegetables.
• Vegetarian – A perfect vegetable for a vegetarian way of eating.
• Vegan – This is also a diet plan that allows lots of good veggies like zucchini.

What to Serve with Zucchini Noodles

Once you learn how to make zucchini noodles then you can serve them alongside any meat or seafood that you would normally eat with any other vegetables.  Here are some ideas for main courses to serve alongside zoodles:

• Chicken – Everything Bagel Chicken tenders or Crispy Fried Chicken
• Roast beef
• Prime Rib Roast
• Pork Chops with garlic butter
• Meatloaf
• Ham
• Seafood…Salmon, Cod, Shrimp, Scallops…etc 
• Steak

How to Store Zucchini Noodles

We find that once you are making zucchini noodles then it’s just as easy to make some extra, especially if zucchini is on sale it’s good to take advantage of it and make enough to use for other meals. Also if it’s summertime and you have a garden full of zucchini, take advantage of the surplus and make lots of zucchini noodles.

Uncooked – Spiralize a bunch of zucchini noodles all at once and keep them in the refrigerator uncooked. When they are raw they stay fresh quite a while in the refrigerator. I place them in an airtight container for a week or so and take them out as I need them.

Already cooked – I do not advise you to cook them ahead of time because when you do they will continue to release water after cooking and get soggy or mushy quickly and in turn will not last too long in the refrigerator. If you need to cook them short term and refrigerate them, then pat dry before adding your favorite sauce to them.

How to Reheat

If you have leftover zucchini noodles and do not want to throw them out, you can heat them up on the stove in a frying pan on medium heat for 2-3 minutes or you could stick them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. 

When you reheat them, be prepared that after sitting in the refrigerator and reheating them, you should take into consideration that the zucchini noodles will release some moisture and hence get watery.

Can You Freeze Zucchini Noodles?

Many people wonder if you can freeze zucchini noodles. It is nice when you can freeze things for future use but unfortunately, zucchini is not one of those things that freeze too well.

Raw Zucchini –  When you freeze raw zucchini it changes the texture and as a result, it also changes the taste. It is not a vegetable that you can freeze well so I prefer not to. They lose their taste and become soggy.

Cooked – If you have some leftover zoodles then you could chop them and use them in the future when you make some homemade soup. But otherwise, I would suggest not freezing it, whether they are cooked or raw.

More Zucchini Recipes

If you’re in the mood for some other Zucchini Recipes to go with your meal, then try our:

• Stuffed Zucchini Boats
• Chicken Zucchini Poppers
• Keto Zucchini Bread
• Crispy Low Carb Fried Zucchini

They all are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will be a hit at your next party or especially for a big meal!

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