This is my favorite way to cook zucchini noodles (zoodles)! You’ll love our zucchini noodles pasta recipe with garlic, tomatoes, basil, and cheese. It’s quick, easy, low-carb, and vegetarian-adaptable!
I seriously love this zoodles recipe, made with fresh zucchini noodles. You can buy or make them (tips below). I usually find zucchini noodles a bit bland, but not with this recipe! We’ll cook them in a simple, fresh sauce of garlic, tomatoes, and basil and then use a simple trick to thicken the sauce so it clings to the noodles.
This zucchini pasta recipe only takes 20 minutes and is low on calories and carbs. I especially love adding cooked garlic shrimp, baked tofu, or slices of juicy chicken breast. See below for the recipe and my best zoodle-making tips (with and without a spiralizer). For more veggie noodle recipes, check out our creamy sweet potato noodles and parmesan spaghetti squash with chicken.
Key Ingredients
- Zucchini: You can use store-bought zoodles or make them (noodles made from zucchini). Use fresh, firm zucchini for the best results. I have shared how to make zucchini noodles below. We love this recipe with 100% zucchini noodles, but you can always combine zucchini noodles and regular spaghetti for a little more sticking power.
- Olive Oil, Garlic, and Tomatoes: You’ll cook the zoodles with garlic and fresh tomatoes in olive oil. The garlic adds flavor while the tomatoes cook down and turn into our sauce for the noodles. Canned diced tomatoes are a good substitute.
- Basil: This zucchini pasta recipe is all about fresh ingredients, so I love stirring in a handful of fresh basil at the end. You can use other fresh herbs like mint or parsley instead.
- Cheese: I love parmesan cheese for this, but you can substitute vegetarian-friendly cheeses if you need to. A soft goat cheese or feta, while different, is excellent in this recipe. Leave off the cheese for vegan noodles and sprinkle over some nutritional yeast.
- Cornstarch: My secret to the best zucchini noodles! Zucchini releases a lot of water during cooking. I steer into this and use a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch and water) to thicken the liquid in my skillet into a silky sauce.
How to Make Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles
I highly recommend using a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles for this recipe. If you don’t have one, I’ve included tips below for making zoodles without (a mandoline or peeler work in a pinch).
A spiralizer creates long, curly zucchini noodles in minutes. My model is from Paderno (it was around $30). To make zoodles:
- Secure the spiralizer to your countertop (mine has suction cups). Trim the ends of the zucchini and press it firmly into the spiralizer.
- Turn the handle until all the zucchini turns into noodles. Since your noodles will be long, use scissors to cut the noodles around 12 inches long.
- Use the zoodles immediately in our recipe, or store them in the fridge or freezer. I have included storing tips below the recipe. I also like making a double batch, and save them for this zucchini noodles salad!
Once you have zucchini noodles, you can make our zucchini noodles pasta! You’ll start by cooking garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil in a wide skillet. Then, toss in the zucchini noodles and cook, tossing them with tongs, until they are wilted and crisp-tender.
When they are (it goes quickly), stir in fresh tomatoes, basil, and cheese. After a minute, the tomatoes will wilt down and release their juices. That mixes with the olive oil, and you’ve got the beginnings of our simple sauce.
The sauce will be pretty thin, so this is where I employ my #1 tip for cooking zucchini noodles without making them soggy. Remove the noodles from the skillet, then stir a mixture of cornstarch and water into the garlicky tomato liquid left in the skillet (it’s delicious). Bring it to a simmer and watch as it thickens into a silky, thickened sauce.
Divide the noodles between serving bowls and drizzle the sauce all over the top. Finish with more cheese and fresh basil. Perfection!
Best Zucchini Noodles We've Made
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We are in love with this easy zucchini noodles recipe. There’s fresh zucchini, tomatoes, basil, parmesan, and garlic. Plus, it only takes 20 minutes to make. Make this with 100% zucchini noodles, or swap half of the zucchini for regular spaghetti for a heartier meal.
For a vegetarian option, omit the parmesan cheese, substitute it with your favorite vegetarian-friendly cheese, or use nutritional yeast.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
4 medium zucchini, about 2 pounds
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic, 3 to 4 cloves
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you like the pasta
2 medium tomatoes, chopped, about 12 ounces
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1 cup basil leaves, torn into pieces
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold water
Salt, to taste
Directions
- Prepare Zucchini Noodles
1Trim and spiralize the zucchini (see notes below for doing this without a spiralizer). Then cut the spiralized zucchini into long noodles to be about the length of spaghetti.
2Add olive oil, garlic, and the red pepper flakes to a large, deep skillet. Turn to medium heat. When the oil bubbles around the garlic, add the zucchini noodles.
3Toss the noodles with pasta tongs and cook until al dente — they should be wilted but still have a crunch; 5 to 7 minutes. Do not let the noodles cook any longer, or else they will become mushy. As they cook, keep tossing so that all the zucchini noodles have a chance to hit the bottom of the skillet.
4Stir in the tomatoes, basil, and parmesan cheese, and then cook for one minute. Use pasta tongs to transfer the noodles, tomatoes, and basil to a serving dish. Leave the liquid in the skillet.
- To Finish
1Bring the liquid left in the skillet to a simmer.
2Combine cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl, then whisk into the simmering liquid. Cook while whisking until the liquid thickens to a sauce; about 1 minute. Taste the sauce and season with salt.
3Pour the sauce over the zucchini, tomatoes, and basil. Finish with more parmesan cheese on top and serve immediately.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Leftovers: Cooked zucchini noodles are best enjoyed immediately for the best texture. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days, but expect that they will release more liquid as they sit.
- Making zucchini noodles without a spiralizer: The spiralizer is not the only way to make noodles. You can use a julienne vegetable peeler or a mandoline. You can also use a standard vegetable peeler to make wide noodles or ribbons.
- Storing raw zoodles: Store your raw zucchini noodles in an airtight container lined with paper towels (the paper towels help absorb extra moisture). Refrigerate and use within 3 days.
- Freezing tips for raw noodles: To freeze zoodles, blanch them first (so they do not become soggy after thawing). Dunk fresh zoodles in boiling water for 30 seconds, drain them, and then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Pat them very dry, and then spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze until hard, then transfer to freezer-safe bags and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using them in your favorite zucchini noodles recipes.
- Extra liquid in the pan: Don’t be surprised if liquid collects at the bottom of the serving dish. This is normal. It mixes with tomato, garlic, cheese, and olive oil, so it’s delicious.
- Prevent soggy zoodles: Salt them at the end of cooking and use cornstarch. Salt draws out moisture, so add it after cooking to keep those noodles firm. A simple slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch + 2 teaspoons cold water) will thicken any extra liquid into a delicious, silky sauce.
- Vegetarian option: Parmesan cheese may contain animal rennet, so check labels before use. Fortunately, several American brands offer vegetarian Parmesan cheese alternatives or use nutritional yeast. When using nutritional yeast, add to your tastes. I’d start with two tablespoons and increase from there.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We assumed 1/2 teaspoon salt.
So so yummy! I’ve made this recipe several times and it is so good. I always saute a few shrimp and throw them on top. So easy and a nice healthy meal.
Can you use spinach instead of basil? Thank You
Of course, but the flavor will be quite different.
My family loved it and they are not always loving veggies. I didn’t have fresh basil so I used Italian season but it was delicious.
Yay! So happy your family loved it. Italian seasoning sounds delicious 🙂
I made this today as I had zucchini to use before they go bad and I had the spiral tool that came with my chopper. First time using the spiral tool and first time making zucchini spaghetti. It was a great healthy dish and alternative to pasta.
This recipe is phenomenal! I was looking for a way to use up garden zucchini and I’m so glad I tried this. Such simple ingredients provide such amazing flavour. It has been in my regular rotation ever since! Over time the only change I have made was to reduce the amount of olive oil. Absolutely wonderful every time I make it! Thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
This is amazing!!! Thank you
This was so good! Was looking for a WW friendly lunch to use a zucchini and stumbled upon this recipe. I scaled it down to one serving, added tuna. It was exactly what I was looking for!