Enjoy these delicious savory butter parmesan zoodles for an easy summer side dish. This low-carb pasta alternative has just 3 ingredients and comes together fast!
Anytime I share a new zucchini recipe with you guys, I like to share a quick story of how the recipe came about.
Like my Zucchini Bread Muffins with Apples and Carrots. I made these because I was trying to add more vegetables to my family’s breakfasts.
And the single-serving Death by Chocolate Zucchini Mug Cake was because I desperately wanted something rich and decadent but didn’t want to heat up the kitchen.
Well, my story for these butter parmesan zoodles is very straightforward:
I made them and they rocked. The end.
HOMEMADE ZUCCHINI NOODLES
Okay, so there’s just a little bit more to the zucchini noodles story.
Mr. Crumbs and I are going on vacation later this year, and we both sit at desks for a large chunk of the day, which makes it hard to feel confident in a bathing suit.
So, we’re trying to eat more good stuff. That means more veggies!
A couple of years ago, my aunt found a killer deal on this spiralizer and sent it to me as a gift. Now that we’re trying to swap veggies for pasta, I’m using this thing ALL THE TIME.
My first experiment was zoodles with my Homemade Hearty Spaghetti Sauce. It was good, but it really felt like I ate a bowl of sauce with zoodles on the side. I think next time I’ll try my lighter, 15-Minute Spaghetti Sauce instead.
A couple of days later I was cooking dinner and I didn’t have enough zucchini to make a full entrée. I tried making a zoodle side dish and added butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to the spiralized zucchini. It was perfection!
WHY MAKE NOODLES WITH ZUCCHINI
So why should you make noodles with zucchini? Do zoodles taste good?
These butter parmesan zoodles sure do! They’re:
- Low carb.
- Loaded with potassium and vitamin C.
- A great option for a vegan or vegetarian dish.
- Gluten-free.
- An easy way to use up some of the overabundance of zucchini from the garden.
This recipe is incredibly easy, much like 90 Minute Man Bread and 15 Minute Alfredo Sauce. They’re so simple, yet very, very good.
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BUTTER PARMESAN ZOODLES TIPS
Now, I’m fairly new to the spiralizer craze as a whole, so I had to do some digging on how to cook zoodles…or if you even have to cook them at all.
For this recipe, I decided to leave the zoodles raw. I already know that when the zucchini is overflowing the garden, I’m not going to want to cook.
So, we aren’t boiling water, turning on the stove, or heating anything.
In the case of today’s zoodles, there are two key tricks to help you get the texture of zucchini noodles just right, so that you end up with a dish that resembles pasta, and you can twirl your fork in the zoodles and soak up the butter and cheesy goodness.
1. START WITH ROOM TEMPERATURE BUTTER AND ZOODLES.
- You’re going to melt the butter, but melted butter is hot.
- If you keep your zucchini in the fridge, it’s going to be cold when you spiralize it.
- Hot butter + cold zucchini = zoodles with chunks of butter, and it’s not exactly pretty.
- It’s good if you don’t mind eating small chunks of butter with your zoodles, but it’s not exactly award-winning.
- However, if you let the butter cool slightly, and bring the zucchini to room temperature, you get a bowl of deliciousness for dinner. Highly recommend.
2. REMOVE THE EXCESS WATER FROM THE ZUCCHINI.
- Zucchini contains A LOT of water, so after you’ve spiralized the zucchini, spread it out on a towel. Cover it with a second towel, gently roll it all up together, and let the zucchini sit for about 10 minutes. The towels will absorb the excess liquid, and you’ll get perfectly plump zoodles for your recipe!
- A secondary option is to place the zoodles in a colander with a sprinkle of salt. Let the excess moisture drain for about 10 minutes. This method works, but I feel like it leaves the zoodles slightly damp.
- Note that you COULD skip this step, but the zoodles will inevitably leak the water and it could ruin your sauce. I don’t recommend it.
- This dish is best when served immediately. If you want to get ahead, you can spiralize the zucchini, remove the excess water, and store it in the fridge. Just don’t forget to bring it to room temperature before you add the butter and Parmesan!
COURGETTE NOODLES INGREDIENTS
Here’s what you need to make courgette noodles (courgette is the French name for this green squash, used in England and France, whereas we typically use the Italian “zucchini” here in the United States. Zoodles are “zucchini nudeln” in Germany!).
- Zucchini
- Butter, melted and cooled
- Shredded Parmesan
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Psst! If you’re going to add salt, I highly recommend Ava Jane’s Kitchen. You may think all salt is created equal, but unfortunately, 90% of the salt produced around the world contains microplastics (gross, right?). Ava Jane’s Kitchen is an exception. Their salt is 100% microplastic-free, and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!)
HOW TO MAKE BUTTER PARMESAN ZOODLES RECIPE
Step 1. Using manufacturer instructions, spiralize the zucchini. (I have this spiralizer and love it!)
Step 2. Spread the spiralized zucchini on a kitchen towel and cover with a second towel. Roll up gently from the end and allow the zucchini to sit for 10 minutes.
Step 3. Unroll the zucchini and place it in a bowl.
TOOLS FOR THE BEST SPIRAL ZUCCHINI NOODLES
- I use this spiralizer to make my spiral zucchini noodles. But a julienne peeler works too if you don’t have space for a spiralizer. I’ve seen some mandoline slicers with a spiral function, but have not tried it.
- Using a nifty butter crock like this one means you can keep your butter at room temperature. Perfect for this butter parmesan zoodles side dish or for slathering on a fresh slice of bread!
This recipe is featured in my One Week No-Cook Meal Plan! Perfect for hot summers when you don’t want to heat up the house!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH ZOODLES
This zucchini butter pasta is a great option for a variety of meals.
Even though this is the no-cook version of zoodles, you can still top them with your favorite pasta sauces, and they make a delicious main dish. The warm sauce heats the zoodles just enough that they have the texture of al dente pasta. Try one of these yummy options:
- 15-Minute Alfredo Sauce
- 15-Minute Spaghetti Sauce
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta Sauce
- 5-Minute Spinach Pesto
- Carrot Top Pesto
Or enjoy this zoodles side dish with these main dishes:
- Grilled chicken (use a chicken marinade for extra flavor!)
- Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
- Homemade Fish Sticks
- Almond Crusted Baked Chicken
- Blackened Salmon
Chances are, if you have plenty of zucchini for zoodles, you also have more summer produce. Try one of these meals to enjoy the fresh flavors of summer!
- Easy Caprese Salad
- Minestrone Soup
- Cobb Pasta Salad
- Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
- Black Bean and Corn Salsa Tacos
- Skillet Pizza Veggie Pasta
EASY ZUCCHINI NOODLES FAQS
Do zoodles taste like pasta? Do zoodles taste good?
Zoodles do not have a strong taste like pasta. The zoodles will absorb the flavor from the ingredients, spices, and sauce you decide to use. They’re a great base for whatever flavor you feel like making!
Are zucchini noodles high in carbs?
Let’s compare: 2 cups of wheat pasta have 480 calories, 90 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fiber. 2 cups of zucchini zoodles have 66 calories, 12 grams of carbs, and 4 grams of fiber. Interesting, huh?
How do you make zucchini noodles not soggy?
A pro tip for making sure your zoodles are not soggy is to pat the zucchini noodles dry with a paper towel after spiralizing them or follow my method for getting some of the extra water out of the zucchini in this post. Also, don’t cook them! Raw zoodles work well even in warm pasta dishes since the sauce warms them up just enough.
MORE NO-COOK RECIPES
- Sweet Kale Salad (Costco Copycat)
- Kale Salad with Blueberries, Walnuts, and Feta
- Vegetable Greek Salad
- Homemade Lunchables
- Healthy No Bake Cookies
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Enjoy these delicious savory butter parmesan zoodles for an easy summer side dish. This low-carb pasta alternative has just 3 ingredients and comes together fast!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Main meals
- Method: Spiralizer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 medium/large zucchini, per person
- 1 Tbsp butter, per zucchini, melted and cooled
- ½ – 1 Tbsp shredded Parmesan, per zucchini
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Using manufacturer instructions, spiralize the zucchini. (I have this spiralizer and love it!)
- Spread the zucchini on a kitchen towel and cover with a second towel. Roll up gently from the end and allow the zucchini to sit for 10 minutes.
- Unroll the zucchini and place in a bowl.
- Add the cooled, melted butter and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper!
Notes
- Start with room temperature butter and zoodles.
- I use this spiralizer to make my zoodles.
- A julienne peeler works too if you don’t have space for a spiralizer.
- Using a nifty butter crock like this one means you can keep your butter at room temp. Perfect for butter parmesan zoodles or slathering on a fresh slice of baked bread!
Nutrition
- Calories: 146
Rohini Reddy
How do you spiralize the zucchini . Which is the best instrument to buy.
Rohini
Laura
I love zoodles! I think half of my pinterest recipes are zoodle based.
My favorite simple boom-done zoodle recipe though? Spiralize them, saute them up in a leeetle bit of olive oil, a little bit of sesame oil (combined total of a “normal” amount of oil needed, with slightly more sesame than olive). Toss with soy sauce (or coconut aminos, if you’re trying to cut down the soy) and sesame seeds. Serve with grilled chicken and YUM.
Tiffany
Ooh – that sounds good Laura! I’ll try that next time. 🙂
Mary Katherine
My family hates zucchini, but they LOVE zoodles. Great recipe Tiffany!!!
Tiffany
Thanks Mary Katherine!
Patrinka
Do you have nutritional info? Calories, fat, fiber, carbs protein? Please? Thank you
Tiffany
I don’t Patrinka, but you’re welcome to input the ingredients into any nutritional calculator online!
Rebecca Shreves
My toddler will love this! Could you email my husband and tell him this is an essential need and not a want?! Haha Thank you for the recipe!
Tiffany
LOL – veggies are a need… maybe convince him that a tool that helps to get kids (and hubbies) to eat more veggies is worth its weight in gold? 😉
Rebecca Shreves
It worked! I will be making zoodles on Tuesday! 🙂 🙂
Tiffany
Really?! That’s so awesome! It was a shot in the dark on my end, lol. So glad it worked!!