Zucchini Noodles with Tomato, Basil and Parmesan

Zucchini noodles or zoodles topped with fresh tomatoes, basil and parmesan make for the perfect summer meal!

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Spiralized zucchini noodles are the perfect base for a healthy, easy summer recipe.

Ingredients

To make this recipe you’ll need:

• zucchini
• grape or cherry tomatoes
• basil
• garlic
• extra virgin olive oil
• Parmesan cheese

I resisted the spiralized vegetable trend for a long time. I thought… what’s the big deal? Zucchini is zucchini no matter how you slice it. Why go through the extra work to turn it into cute, curly spirals? Let me tell you. I was wrong.

I’m not about calling vegetables pasta. Vegetables are vegetables. Pasta is pasta. And sometimes I just want pasta. But making zucchini noodles and other “noodles” is a nice change. Spiralizing completely transforms fruits and vegetables to a bowl full of delicious fun because who doesn’t like to slurp a noodle?!

Zucchini is especially nice because it cooks quickly and the bland flavor makes it the perfect canvas to add a number of bold or not so bold flavors. I’ve spiralized apples, potatoes, beets and this summer I’ve been doing lots of zucchini.

I kept this recipe simple, using what I had on hand. I was particularly excited to use fresh basil and tomatoes from my backyard garden.

Heads up: Zucchini contains a lot of water so this recipe is not great for leftovers. You’ll want to plan to eat the whole dish the same day. Not you alone but with friends of course.

Here’s a tip: To enjoy zucchini noodles a few times a week and not have to clean the spiralizer every time, spiralize a few zucchinis at once. Refrigerate the zoodles raw and cook them to order.

When I shared a sneak peek of this recipe on Instagram, people asked what kind of spiralizer I use. So let me tell you. But first. Are you following me on Instagram? Maybe you should because I’m over there sharing tips and recipes almost every day.

There is nothing wrong with pasta but something is so right about this big plate of fresh veggies! Here’s how I made it: Sauté spiralized zucchini in olive oil. Toss with fresh garlic, cherry tomatoes, basil, crushed red pepper flakes and kosher salt. Twirl! 😋 (Perfect with a side of salmon and a glass of white wine served up on a backyard deck!) 🍷☀

A photo posted by Dietitian + Healthy Recipes 🌶 (@marisamoore) on Jun 13, 2016 at 5:52pm PDT

At the moment, I have two spiralizers. I bought the Paderno one from Amazon. It sat in the box for months. Then last year, KitchenAid asked me to use their new spiralizer attachment for the stand mixer to create a recipe for their blog.

I got to keep the spiralizer and was a little hooked after that. It’s what I used for this recipe but the Paderno spiralizer is also fine. I don’t love the pencil sharpener spiralizers though. They are great for zucchini but not so great for other produce.

Anyways.. here’s the recipe. It’s more of a suggested list of ingredients because you can just freestyle this dish. Try it and let me know what you think. Tag me on Instagram @marisamoore!

Zucchini Noodles with Tomato, Basil & Parmesan

Marisa Moore, RDN

Zucchini noodles or zoodles topped with fresh tomatoes, basil and parmesan make for the perfect summer meal!

4.91 from 20 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Entree, Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 115 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 medium zucchini spiralized
• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 clove garlic minced
• ▢ 1 cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes
• ▢ ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ cracked black pepper and kosher salt to taste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• ▢ 2 tablespoons or more fresh basil torn

Instructions

 

• Spiralize the zucchini.
• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté spiralized zucchini for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute or so. Toss in sliced fresh cherry tomatoes. Heat just until the tomatoes are warm. Add in the crushed red pepper flakes, kosher salt and pepper. Toss to combine evenly.
• Remove from the heat. Sprinkle on torn fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Twirl!
• Double the portion for a (very) light dinner or plate these zoodles with a side of salmon and a glass of white wine served on a backyard deck.

Nutrition

Calories: 115kcal

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Have you tried zucchini noodles (or zoodles) yet? I’d love to hear how you enjoy them!