Enjoy this recipe for zoodles with lemon and Parmesan cheese, which packs a punch of flavor without the extra calories and carbs.
You've heard the term zoodles by now. They are simply zucchini noodles made with a spiralizer.
I don't have a spiralizer, but this idea is so popular that it has made its way to the produce section of Trader Joe's. Pretty easy and convenient.
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In fact, this entire dish can be made in about 10 - 15 minutes, especially if you've already purchased the zoodles. You can use standard tomato-based spaghetti sauce on them, but I prefer an oil-based one with lots of lemon and Parmesan cheese.
I do have a mandoline at home. You can use a mandoline to make thin zucchini strips or a julienne peeler, but they don't make long curly noodles like the spiralizer. Creating your own zoodles from scratch won't add much time to the recipe. However, you may want to use some paper towels to sop up any extra liquid you have once you cut the zucchini into noodles.
Just like a restaurant salad, feel free to add some protein like grilled chicken or a piece of salmon on top (shown above)
If you grow zucchini, then you probably have more than you can possibly eat, as most people have huge crops of this vegetable. Making zoodles would certainly add a new spin on ways to eat it all up, especially with larger zucchini.
In this recipe, you are not really cooking zoodles. It's more about heating them up with the sauce. And, though I really enjoyed heating the zoodles and treating them like a typical pasta dish, I also think they would make an excellent cold pasta-like salad, with a nice vinaigrette in the summer.
Lemon Parmesan Zoodles
Ingredients
- 1 pound zoodles
- 2 cloves garlic crushed or grated
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- In a hot skillet or frying pan add the olive oil.
- Reduce heat to medium and add garlic.
- Add zoodles and stir until heated through. About 2-3 minutes
- Add lemon juice and zest.
- Add cheese, sea salt, and basil. Stir well and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although attempts have been made to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Rachel
Very tasty! Thank you for the recipe!
Jane Bonnesen
Wow - just made zoodles with my new KitchenAid spiralizer attachment and then made your recipe. OUTSTANDING especially with my own zucchini and basil. Thank you. Even my husband really liked it.
Patti Estep
I'm so happy to hear that you loved the recipe Jane. I bet that new attachment will get lots of use. Thanks for the lovely comment.
Denise
I am an avid zucchini noodle eater so this is right up my alley. Love lemon and pamesan together. Gonna try this on the weekend.
Cd
Thank you so much for your post Patti!! I just started a low carb diet and I’ve been wondering how these zoodles really compare to regular pasta. Good to know they are available at Trader Joe’s!!
Patti Estep
Low carb diets work the best for me, and the convenience of the TJ's pack makes it that much easier. I hope you like them too.
Julie Briones
Thanks for sharing this, Patti! I'm gonna check this out the next time I visit TJ, and make some for myself!
Patti Estep
I hope you like them as much as I did Julie!
Carole
I love pasta too and holy cow this looks amazing. I haven't had breakfast yet and thinking if this was in front of me right now I would devour it. Served with Salmon I bet it was amazing! The lemon with the basil.... what a great combo! Trying and I've never had zoodles so think I will spring it on Robert my non veggie guy to see if he notices a difference.
Patti Estep
We are huge pasta lovers. Maybe to a fault. I've tried the other whole grain and lower carb pastas and they just don't do it for me. I do think the key is not using traditional red sauce for this faux pasta. It's kind of like having a huge yummy side dish of zucchini with your salmon and that works just fine.