Zucchini noodles or zoodles topped with fresh tomatoes, basil and parmesan make for the perfect summer meal!
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.
Easy Summer Zucchini Noodles with Tomatoes, Basil & ParmesanI’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.
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
Ingredients
- 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
Have you tried zucchini noodles (or zoodles) yet? I’d love to hear how you enjoy them!
rachel @ athletic avocado
I love zoodles! Love that this is so simple and delicious!
Marisa
Thanks, Rachel!
Sara @sarahaasrdn.com
Simply beautiful and delicious! Love this Marisa!
Marisa
Thanks, Sara! 🙂
Tina
I wish thy showed the nutritional info here
Marisa
Thanks for the feedback. We’ve actually started adding calories and basic nutrient data for new recipes. I will work on adding it for this one too in the next few days.
Charlotte
My husband love your recipes and can’t get enough of your healthy ideas. You keep up the good work your doing to ensure our bodies are fed with good nutrition.
Marisa
That means so much to me. I’m happy to hear it helps. Thanks for taking the time to write the note!
Jil Spangenberg
I have fresh basil just outside my door. I will DEFINITELY try this one!.
I have lost 35# over the past 5 months but the last 15 are priving to be a challenge. Perhaps I’m just burned out on existing healthy recipes. Just brought home the new spiralizer KitchenAid attachment. Hoping to get excited about all the different recipes for my various zoodles.
Would LOVE to follow you, do you blog anywhere other than posts on Instagram? I am sooooo not a fan of Instagram
Marisa
Hi Jil! Hope you love it. I can’t get enough basil in the summer. I do spend a lot of time on Instagram. Be sure to sign up for my Monday newsletter (see top of the page) and I’m also on Facebook https://facebook.com/MarisaMooreNutrition where I share nutrition info and healthy recipes. Thanks for stopping by!
Barbara
I have never spiralized anything, and don’t even own a spiralizer, but we are swimming in zucchini so I will need to go buy a spiralizer TODAY and try this recipe!
I’ll let you know how it goes!
Marisa
Hi Barbara. This simple recipe is one of my faves. A spiralizer definitely makes it easier (and fun) but you can also use a vegetable peeler and just make zucchini ribbons! I look forward to hearing how it goes!
Mary Di
My teenager, that’s right, TEENAGER, said I should try spiralized zucchini coz all her “veggie” friends eat them.
So I bought one and this recipe was an absolute hit!!!! Thankyou, spiralizer, thank you Marisa the recipe queen and thank you teenagers ❤️
Barbara
Spiralizing is SO fun! I found an inexpensive but sturdy looking one at Home Goods, and turned waaay too many zucchini into zoodles. Yummy recipe, Marisa, thanks!
HMB
Delicious! We’ll be making this again & again!
Bob
Just bought our spiraler today and you recipe was the first one we tried. We enjoyed it very much. We will be adding shrimp to it next time. Thanks
Robyn
I loved this! So did my fam. Adding this to my quick-and-easy favorites queue.
Marisa
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Robyn! Thanks for stopping by to let me know!
Denise
My son was looking to drop a couple pounds to make his wrestling weight. I found this recipe in my search for healthier fare. He loved it! My husband, who “hates” zucchini, came back for seconds. What a fantastic recipe, just as it is- but also easy to tweak and switch up a bit. Love it! All the stars!
Marisa
Denise,
I’m so happy to hear the recipe was a hit with the guys – they can be a tough crowd. 🙂 Thanks so much for the note!
Alexis
We began a lower carb, healthier diet this year, and purchased a spiralizer yesterday. This was the first thing I tried. We loved it. Think this might be a side dish at my next dinner party.
Marisa
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for letting me know
Tina Pawass
I just made this and it is awesome! I did dry my zoodles on a towel first. Next time I make this I will make sure to NOT eyeball the evoo! I kinda drowned my zoodles but all in all it was awesome
Marisa
Can you actually get too much EVOO? Haha! Kidding aside. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! And good move to dry the noodles. Now, I spiralize and let the entire batch of zoodles hang out on clean cloth napkins for a while to remove some liquid. Then I store them in a bag or container in the fridge so they are ready when I am. After drying they definitely last longer.
Chef David Kimanzi
To be honest,This is an amazing presentation of zucchini noodles, The recipie is with in the the reach and very cheap.I used a mantling abut did not come like yours but the flavour was very good.May be I will look for a spirilizer machine and things will work much simpler for me.Thank you for this great Idea……
Marisa
I so appreciate the note! You can also use a vegetable peeler to create thin ribbons if you don’t have a spiralizer.
Celeste @The Whole Serving
Beautiful, nutritious, and delicious. Looks amazing.
Marisa
Thanks, Celeste! Sometimes it’s the simple things!
LB55131
Very nice!
Nate M
So why not salt the spiralized zucchini noodles for 10-15 minutes for cooking to get excess waster out? Just thinking about doing that tonight. Or do you think that could ruin the dish
Marisa
Hi Nate! It’s a good idea but with the Parmesan cheese, it could end up being too salty. I haven’t tried it.
I find that sautéing the noodles the way the recipe is written works and the extra moisture creates a little sauce. I stress “little” as this is not a saucy dish at all. Let me know how it goes if you try the salting method!
Charlotte Ann
This recipe looks delish.I shall be trying it tonight with my Tim. I’ll serve it with a salmon filet.
Penny
I made this today and it was EASY, FUN, YUMMY, & HEALTHY! It was a hit with the whole family! My 6 year old loved helping make the Zoodles!
Marisa
I’m so happy to hear that! It IS a fun recipe and perfect to get the kids involved. Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Carol
I just found this site. I love these recipes! Going to try many of these.
Lisa
Can this be served cold?
Marisa
You definitely can! Here’s a slightly different no-cook spin on this recipe https://marisamoore.com/pesto-zucchini-noodle-salad/
Lisa
Great, thank you. Decided to do cold version and it was GREAT! Thank you!!!
Marisa
My pleasure! So glad you enjoyed it!
Monica
I just made this lovely flavoursome and tasty dish I used two garlic cloves. I will definitely make this again for sure. Thanks
Shannon Thomasser
We made this with veggies out of our garden and it was wonderful! Will also try with chicken or shrimp sometime. Husband found the recipe and he loved it! Will be having again!
Marisa
So happy to hear it, Shannon. Thanks for sharing!
Nina Reeder
I have some zoodles in my freezer. Do you think that this recipe could work with frozen? They tend to be a little more watery than fresh zoodles.
Marisa
Hi Nina. I haven’t tried it but frozen zucchini noodles might be ok if you eat the entire dish right away. Because you’re right, the frozen ones can be very watery. I usually prefer to use those in things like soup 🙂
Cynthia
Great recipe!!! Very good, thank you for sharing. I’m new to cooking and I need advice. I followed recipe but my zucchini noodles seemed to be “watery” how do I avoid access liquid next time?
Marisa
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Yes. The longer the zoodles sit, the more water will seep out. To reduce the wateriness, you can place the zucchini noodles in a clean kitchen towel or napkin and squeeze out the excess moisture before cooking.
Mary
Looks so tasty! Can’t wait to try it. Love that is fresh whole ingredients. Easy way to get in servings of veggies.
Jess
This recipe is the best!!!! This was my first time trying zoodles and I loved them so much!! I made some shrimp to go with them and it was amazing!
Melissa Cardenas
Yummy summer side dish!
Lynn
Hi Marisa, I have never been a fan of zucchini but my husband does enjoy it. He likes it lightly fried in a bit of butter and then lightly salted.
Well with spiralized veggies being so popular these days, I went looking for a recipe for zucchini with basil since I have a bumper crop of basil this year.
When I came across your recipe, my interest was piqued. So, I made it for dinner tonight.
I did make a slight change. Due to allergies, I omitted the pepper and pepper flakes and swapped in some italian herbs. I’m hooked!
Andrea
Absolutely fantastic, low calorie and easy. My hubby loved
It as so did I. Making it again second nite in a row. Tonight adding some garlic shrimp!! Thanks for showing how vegetable pasta is a great alternative!!