• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Wholesome Made Easy
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Light
  • Low Carb
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Dietary » Keto » Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles

    Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles

    August 11, 2020 by Valerie Brunmeier

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    A white bowl filled with zucchini noodles and a spoon with text overlay.
    A white bowl filled with zucchini noodles and a spoon with text overlay.

    These Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles are a healthy, low-carb option to pasta that’s ready to serve in about 10 minutes! Top them with your favorite sauce or serve them as a side dish to round out any meal.

    A white bowl filled with zoodles and a fork.

    It is truly wondrous what happens when you run zucchini through a spiralizer. This abundant summer veggie becomes a fabulously nutritious and seriously delicious low-carb, keto-friendly substitute for pasta in less time than it takes to bring a pot of water to boil. I had some doubters in this house the first time I served these Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles in place of pasta, but they’ve quickly become zoodle converts.

    Although quick and easy to prepare, there are some important tips to ensure perfectly cooked zucchini noodles.

    A fork lifts zucchini noodles from a white bowl.

    I highly recommend purchasing a spiralizer which will allow you to effortlessly slice zucchini and a variety of other vegetables into different noodle shapes.

    Types of Spiralizers

    There are two main types of spiralizers – tabletop and handheld units.

    Tabletop Spiralizers

    I love my tabletop OXO Spiralizer. The pros:

    • It comes with a nice blade box that holds 3 blades for different sized noodles.
    • It has a strong suction cup that holds it in place on your counter while you’re working.
    • It’s sturdy but compact enough to store easily.

    The Spiralizer 5-Blade Vegetable Slicer is another popular tabletop model. I can’t vouch for it personally but it is a hot seller on Amazon and very reasonably priced.

    Handheld Spiralizers

    Handheld units will work in a pinch but are not as effortless as a sturdy tabletop variety. If you’re short on space or want to test the waters before purchasing a more expensive model, a handheld unit might be right for you.

    The OXO Handheld Spiralizer is an Amazon’s Choice item and comes with 1 or up to 3 blades. The Ontel Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Cutter is the least expensive unit of all of these choices and has almost 5000 positive reviews on Amazon. No matter your budget, there is a spiralizer out there waiting for you!

    Store Bought Zoodles

    Don’t want to bother with a spiralizer? Most grocery stores carried bags of spiralized zucchini in the produce section. This is a more expensive way to go so if you plan to consume spiralized veggies on even a semi-regular basis, I recommend investing in a spiralizer and doing it yourself at home.

    Ingredients

    Zucchini, butter, olive oil and other ingredient for zoodles on a white surface.
    • You’ll need 3 medium zucchini to prepare enough zoodles to serve 4.
    • I add a small amount butter and olive oil which adds really nice flavor when combined with minced garlic and Parmesan cheese.
    • Crushed red pepper flakes add a little zing. Use a little, use a lot, or leave them out altogether if you’re group is sensitive to heat.

    Instructions

    Your zucchini noodles should be the last menu item prepared since they cook quickly. You want to stay with them through the entirety of the cooking process. If you walk away from the skillet, you’re likely to overcook them and end up with soggy zoodles.

    A spiralizer and zucchini noodles and a skillet with melted butter and garlic.
    • Slice the ends off your zucchini and use the spaghetti blade to spiralize them.
    • Some of your zoodles will be VERY long – check out the video in this post for proof! Run a sharp knife through your pile to cut them to a more manageable size. You don’t have to be too precise here – just a few cuts in each direction will do.
    • Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
    • Add minced garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute or two until fragrant. Reduce the heat under the skillet, if needed, to avoid burning the garlic.
    Zucchini in a skillet and topped with Parmesan.
    • Increase the heat to medium-high and add the zucchini noodles, black pepper, and crushed red pepper, to taste. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or just until the zoodles are al dente. They should be tender when pierced with a fork but still have some bite to them.
    • Season with salt and stir in the Parmesan, remove from heat and serve immediately.

    Feeding more than four? Double the recipe and use a Dutch oven. I do this ALL the time.

    Metal tongs pull zucchini noodles out of a skillet.

    Tips for Avoiding Soggy Zucchini Noodles

    • Cook them for 3 to 4 minutes, maximum. You want them to retain some texture and bite for the perfect al dente experience.
    • Add salt last. Salt draws moisture out of vegetables and zucchini contains a large percentage of water.
    • There will be liquid at the bottom of your skillet and this is okay! Liquid from the zucchini will combine with the buttery-garlic-Parmesan mixture and it’s going to be delicious.
    • To avoid watering down pasta sauce, don’t add the sauce directly into the skillet with the cooked zucchini noodles. Instead, use tongs to pull the zucchini noodles from the skillet and transfer them to a serving bowl to eliminate the liquid altogether. Then proceed to top them with sauce or any other ingredients.
    Zucchini noodles topped with Parmesan cheese on a white plate.

    What to Serve with Zucchini Noodles

    Any meal you would typically serve with a pasta side dish is a great candidate. They’re also delicious as a side dish with simply grilled fish, chicken, or steak.

    Make it a healthy-delicious meal by serving them with my heavenly Cheesy Turkey Meatballs, my Chicken Bites, this Spicy Shrimp, or sub them for the pasta in my Creamy Lemon Chicken.

    A white bowl filled with zoodles and a fork.

    Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles

    These Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles are a healthy, low-carb option to pasta that's ready to serve in about 10 minutes! Top them with your favorite sauce or serve them as a side dish to round out any meal.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Side Dish, Vegetable
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 95 kcal

    Equipment

    • spiralizer

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 medium zucchini
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
    • freshly ground black pepper to taste
    • pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
    • 1/4 teaspoon fine ground sea salt or to taste
    • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional if desired

    Instructions
     

    • Slice off and discard the ends of the zucchini. Spiralize the zucchini using a spaghetti-sized blade on your spiralizer. Run a sharp knife through the pile of zoodles several times to cut them to a more manageable size.
    • Melt the butter with the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Lower heat, if necessary, to prevent the garlic from burning.
    • Increase the heat to medium-high and add the zucchini noodles, black pepper, and crushed red pepper, to taste. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or just until the zoodles are al dente. They should be tender when pierced with a fork but still have some bite to them.
    • Season with salt and stir in the Parmesan. Remove the skillet from the heat and serve immediately. Sprinkle with a little additional Parmesan for garnish, if desired.

    Video

    Notes

    Tips for Avoiding Soggy Zucchini Noodles:
    • Cook them for 3 to 4 minutes, maximum. You want them to retain some texture and bite for the perfect al dente experience.
    • Add salt last. Salt draws moisture out of vegetables and zucchini contains a large percentage of water.
    • There will be liquid at the bottom of your skillet and this is okay! Liquid from the zucchini will combine with the buttery-garlic-Parmesan mixture and it’s going to be delicious.
    • To avoid watering down pasta sauce, don’t add the sauce directly into the skillet with the cooked zucchini noodles. Instead, use tongs to pull the zucchini noodles from the skillet and transfer them to a serving bowl to eliminate the liquid altogether. Then proceed to top them with sauce or any other ingredients.
     
    Feeding more than four? Double the recipe and use a Dutch oven. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 95kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 289mgPotassium: 394mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 366IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 120mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword garlic parmesan zucchini noodles, zoodles, zucchini noodles
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    All information provided regarding nutrition on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Content related to nutrition is not medical advice nor is it intended to replace medical advice. The website is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any disease, condition, illness, or injury. Before beginning any diet program, modifying your diet, or making changes to the diet of a child in your care, including following the nutrition information available on the website, you should seek advice from a licensed professional.

    Nutrition Information Disclaimer

    Related Posts

    • A close up of the stir fry over rice in a white bowl.
      Ground Pork Stir Fry with Zucchini and Mushrooms
    • Seasoned, cooked bites of chicken on a plate with a small bowl of Dijon mustard.
      Chicken Bites
    • Steamed broccoli in a wood bowl with an orange napkin and salt to the side
      Instant Pot Broccoli
    • A spoon lifts a cheesy stuffed pasta shell from a dish.
      Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Shells
    « Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
    Cheesy Turkey Meatballs »

    Thank you for sharing!

    615 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email

    Filed Under: Keto, Light, Low Carb, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Tagged With: Vegetables

    About Valerie Brunmeier

    Valerie, a long time food blogger and cookbook author, launched Wholesome Made Easy in June of 2020. Her true passion is sharing her experience as a working mom of four to help other busy home cooks create wholesome, delicious meals that take a lighter approach. Her recipes have been featured on Better Homes & Gardens, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Country Living, Cosmopolitan, Buzzfeed, MSN, Shape Magazine and more.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome

    Hi! I’m Valerie Brunmeier, the founder of Wholesome Made Easy. If you are a home cook looking for inspiration to incorporate recipes with a lighter, healthier approach into your menu, you’re in the right place! Read more...

    Subscribe to our Newsletter

    Email frequency

    Categories

    Quick and Easy

    Low Calorie Eats

    Wooden salad spoons in a bowl of blueberry beet salad.

    Blueberry Beet Salad

    A top down shot of Carrot Soup in a white bowl with fresh thyme.

    Carrot Soup

    An over the top shot of a skillet of gnocchi with white beans.

    Gnocchi with White Beans and Spinach

    A pile of cream cheese chicken taquitos topped with sour cream and salsa on a bed of lettuce.

    Air Fryer Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos

    Footer

    • Home
    • About
    • Recipe Index
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Contact
    Footer Logo Round

    Subscribe to our Newsletter

    Email frequency
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Wholesome Made Easy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    Copyright © 2022 · Wholesome Made Easy · privacy policy · terms & conditions

    615 shares