Easy Recipe: Zucchini Noodles with Pasta & Parmesan

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

This Easy Recipe: Zucchini Noodles with Pasta & Parmesan is the perfect meal for busy weeknights. Spiralized zucchini noodles, thick spaghetti, onions and garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and a hearty helping of Parmesan combine to create a savory, but light meal that comes together quickly and easily. It is definitely worth adding to your dinner rotation. It is just the kind of simple meal that is sure to earn a five star rating from friends and family.

Pasta is always a go-to quick and easy meal in our house, but we have been trying to find some low carb options and this is it! Simply cook thick pasta in a large pot of boiling water and then drain over a colander of zucchini noodles. That is all the cooking the zucchini requires. Crushed red pepper flakes provide heat, and is easily adjusted to suit your preference. Top with a hearty helping of Parmesan and some parsley and you are set.

Quick cooking, simple steps, and easy-to-find ingredients: these Zucchini Noodles with Pasta & Parmesan are definitely our new favorite way to incorporate fresh produce into our eating! 

Recipe Ingredients

Olive oil

Red onion

Garlic

Crushed red pepper flakes

Thick spaghetti

Zucchini noodles/zoodles/zucchini spaghetti

​Shredded Parmesan

Salt

Parsley

Lemon (optional)

Ingredient Notes

The easiest way of preparing zucchini noodles is to buy them prepared. In the event you can’t find them at your local grocery store, check out the FAQs for help preparing them on your own.

​One teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes provide a fair amount of heat. If spicy foods aren’t your thing, you can always start small and increase until you achieve the desired taste.

Grating lemon zest over the finished dish will add a bit of brightness. It’s a simple step that will really up the flavor!

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Lay out the zucchini noodles and pat them dry with a paper towel.

2. Boil 8 ounces of thick spaghetti in a large pot of salted water.

3. Chop a red onion and set aside 3/4 cups.

​4. Peel and mince two cloves of garlic.

5. Heat olive oil in a large pan. A deep skillet will work best. 

6. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook on medium-high heat until brown.

7. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and stir, cooking over medium heat.

8. Place the zucchini noodles in a colander.

9. When the spaghetti is cooked, set aside one cup of the pasta water.

10. Drain the pasta over the zucchini noodles in the colander.

11. Add the pasta and the zucchini noodles to the skillet with the onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

12. Add the water and toss.

13. Sprinkle 1/2 the Parmesan over the pasta and zucchini and toss.

14. Add the rest of the Parmesan and toss one last time.

15. For added brightness, zest a lemon over the dish and toss.

16. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and taste. Always start with a pinch and add more if necessary.

17. Snip fresh parsley over the finished dish.  

Check out the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and precise step-by-step instructions.

Storage & Reheating

Store Zucchini Noodles with Pasta & Parmesan in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.

Reheating this meal is as easy as popping it into the microwave. If you time, though, heating the leftovers on the stovetop is best. To do so, add a tablespoon of oil to a pan over medium high heat. Add the leftovers and sprinkle with additional Parmesan. Sauté stirring constantly until heated through.

Tips & Tricks

You don’t want to drown your pasta with too much water. One cup of pasta water is plenty and, if you prefer, you can even add a bit less.

Don’t add salt to the dish until it is done. The salt will draw water out of the zucchini and take away from the crunch of the fresh zucchini.

Adjust the crushed red pepper to your taste. This can be quite hot, so if that isn’t your thing, start small. It is possible to add more as you near the end of the process.

FAQs

What do I do if I can’t find zucchini noodles in the supermarket?

Make them yourself, of course! There are several ways you can do this.

First, get a spiralizer. You may not have room or money for a specialty tool, but you can spiralize all sorts of things, so it may be worth thinking about.

Use a julienne peeler, vegetable peeler, or a mandoline slicer. The julienne peeler will result in shorter, thinner strips. The vegetable peeler strips will be a bit wider, and the mandoline slicer will produce the widest strips. 

A word of caution on using the mandoline slicer: it is very easy to do some serious damage of your fingers, so be very careful as you approach the end of the zucchini. My own son sliced off a fingertip cutting potatoes, so I speak from experience. Either stop and use the rest of the zucchini for something else or use the grip tool provided.

If you decide to make your own zucchini noodles, wash the zucchini but don’t peel it. Keeping the peel will keep the zucchini from falling apart. Be sure to pat it dry as instructed in the recipe.

​Can I use a different type of pasta?

You want to use something that is similar in shape to the zucchini noodles, so rotini and ziti are out, but bucatini, fettuccine, or spaghetti would all work equally well. 

What type of protein can I add?

Shrimp, cooked ground sausage, or even shredded rotisserie chicken are great additions.

​Looking for something to serve with our Easy Recipe: Zucchini Noodles with Pasta & Parmesan? Why not add a delicious side? Try my Easy Focaccia Bread with Homemade Italian Seasoning!