If you’re looking for an easy and healthy pasta alternative, you should definitely try zoodles! They’re super easy to make and very low in calories.
I’ve always liked zucchini, but eating them as pasta is even better! They make such an easy and light dinner or lunch.
I especially like eating zoodles on hot summer days, but they’re great the whole year round. Maybe you want to lose some weight after the holidays? Then say hello to zoodles!
We usually eat them with homemade tomato sauce made from fresh tomatoes, but of course any marinara would do.
What Are Zoodles?
Zoodles are super popular these days. But maybe some of you are still a bit unsure what zoodles are.
Zoodles are long thin strips of zucchini that resemble pasta. So zoodles is basically a contraction of zucchini noodles.
Sometimes, they are also called “courgettti” (courgette spaghetti).
Zoodles Are:
- low carb
- super easy to prepare
- ready in just 5 minutes
- vegan
- gluten-free
- a healthy alternative to regular pasta
- healthy and light
What You Need For My Zucchini Noodles with Homemade Marinara:
You need only eight ingredients for this recipe. And many of them are pantry ingredients and you’ve most likely already got them at home.
You need:
- zucchini
- fresh tomatoes
- an onion
- garlic
- olive oil
- tomato paste
- sugar
- white wine vinegar
- salt and pepper
As always, you can find the full ingredient list and the recipe instructions in a separate recipe box at the end of this post.
How to Make Zoodles with Homemade Marinara
1. STEP: First make the zoodles. Wash the zucchini and cut off the ends. Then either use a spiralizer or a handheld spiralizer to cut them into long thin strips that resemble spaghetti.
2. STEP: Then make the marinade. Fill a medium bowl with water and bring it to a boil. Add the whole tomatoes and leave them in the boiling water for about 1 minute. Then drain and rinse with very cold water. The tomato skin should be wrinkled and coming off the flesh easily. Peel the tomatoes with your hands or use a small knife.
3. STEP: Finely dice the tomatoes. Chop the onion and the garlic.
4. STEP: Heat some oil in a large pot and sauté the onion for about 3 minutes or until translucent. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the tomato paste and the sugar and cook for 2 more minutes.
5. STEP: Now add the white wine vinegar and the diced tomatoes. Stir well and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, season it with salt, pepper, oregano, and basil.
6. STEP: While the tomato sauce is cooking, heat some olive oil in a large pan and cook the zoodles for about 3-5 minutes on low to medium heat. Put them on plates and add the homemade marinara sauce on top. If you want you could also add some vegan Parmesan or shredded cheese on top.
Recipe Notes:
- It’s important not to add any salt to the zoodles themselves. Instead just season the marinara with salt and pepper. If you add salt to the zucchini, they most likely become mushy or when you add the sauce on top it becomes watery very quickly.
- Don’t heat the zoodles for more than 3-5 minutes because otherwise they will lose too much water and they will become watery.
- If you don’t have a spiraziler, you could also use a julienne peeler or a mandolin. However, it’s way easier with a spiralizer.
How to Make Zoodles With and Without a Spiralizer
- Option: Use a spiralizer to make zoodles. This way you will have long and curly zoodles in just minutes. It’s definitely the easiest way and I highly recommend investing in a spiralizer. You could also use it for carrots, beets, and even sweet potatoes. If you want to invest less money, you might like a handheld spiralizer. I have both and I usually use the bigger one for family meals and the handheld spiralizer if I just use one or two zucchinis.
- Option: You could also use a julienne peeler to make veggie noodles. It’s great if you want to make wider noodles or even lasagna sheets.
- Option: If you neither own a spiralizer nor a julienne peeler, you could also use a regular kitchen knife to cut the zucchini into long and thin strips. However, this is by far the most difficult and time-consuming of the three options.
Are Zoodles Healthy?
Yes, zoodles are super healthy! There are so many reasons:
- They contain much less calories and carbs than regular pasta. One portion of zoodles (around 9 ounces) has about 42 calories and only 7.5 grams of carbs. To compare, the same amount of regular pasta has around 350 calories and 75 grams of carbohydrates.
- Zoodles contain more vitamins than regular pasta. 4 ounces of zoodles contain around 20 grams of vitamin c and 30 grams of vitamin a.
- Zoodles aren’t as heavy on the stomach as regular wheat pasta. They make an easy light lunch or dinner.
More Easy Vegan Pasta Recipes You Might Like:
- Lemon Spaghetti with Spinach
- One Pot Pasta with Lemon and Zucchini
- Vegan Spaghetti
- Creamy Vegan One Pot Pasta with Coconut Milk and Red Curry Paste
- Vegan Meatballs with Spaghetti
I LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS!
I hope you like these zoodles with homemade marinara as much as we do around here.
If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
You like my recipes and want to see more? Then follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Sina
How To Make Zoodles
Ingredients
- 3 large zucchini
- 35 oz fresh tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Instructions
- First make the zoodles. Wash the zucchini and cut off the ends. Then either use a spiralizer or a handheld spiralizer to cut them into long thin strips that resemble spaghetti.
- Then make the marinade. Fill a medium bowl with water and bring it to a boil. Add the whole tomatoes and leave them in the boiling water for about 1 minute. Then drain and rinse with very cold water. The tomato skin should be wrinkled and coming off the flesh easily. Peel the tomatoes with your hands or use a small knife.
- Finely dice the tomatoes. Chop the onion and the garlic.
- Heat some oil in a large pot and sauté the onion for about 3 minutes or until translucent. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the tomato paste and the sugar and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Now add the white wine vinegar and the diced tomatoes. Stir well and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, season it with salt, pepper, oregano, and basil.
- While the tomato sauce is cooking, heat some olive oil in a large pan and cook the zoodles for about 3-5 minutes on low to medium heat. Put them on plates and add the homemade marinara sauce on top. If you want you could also add some vegan Parmesan or shredded cheese on top.
Notes
- It's important not to add any salt to the zoodles themselves. Instead just season the marinara with salt and pepper. If you add salt to the zucchini, they most likely become mushy or when you add the sauce on top it becomes watery very quickly.
- Don't heat the zoodles for more than 3-5 minutes because otherwise they will lose too much water and they will become watery.
- If you don't have a spiraziler, you could also use a julienne peeler or a mandolin. However, it's way easier with a Spiralizer.
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