How to Make Zoodles (Zucchini Noodles)

When I was on a grain free diet I missed the comfort I got from a plate of buttery or saucy noodles. When I first discovered zucchini noodles I was thrilled. I quickly found that zoodles make a great alternative to traditional spaghetti noodles. If you’re wondering how to make zucchini noodles and you think it might be complicated, I’m here to tell you it’s not.

All you need is an inexpensive handheld vegetable spiralizer. If you want more options for making different “pasta” types, try a heavy duty vegetable spiralizer or slicer that has blades of different sizes.

I’m so excited to have found a new medium for my favorite pasta sauces that won’t send my body into carb overload. I try to cook frugal, grain-free dinners from scratch most nights of the week. Having a weekly pasta night was a welcomed break from meal planning and cooking. When we cut out wheat from our diet, zucchini noodles (and carrot noodles and sweet potato noodles) were a delicious, grain-free replacement for our old pasta-night standby.

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How to Use a Vegetable Spiralizer to Make Zoodles

When I received my spiralizer my first question was, “What about the seeds?” I wanted avoid the mushy, seedy mess at the center of a zucchini. As it turns out, the spiralizer simply cores the vegetable. This is what a zucchini core looks like after going through my spiralizer:

I used a 3mm blade size for the zucchini noodles in the pictures. I sliced a bit of the end off of the zucchini, placed it in the cone of the spiralizer and twisted it just like I was sharpening a pencil. It worked right away. In less than a minute I had a plate full of beautiful zoodles.

Note: Some folks peel the zucchini before spiralizing it, but I never have. Leaving the skin on provides a bit of texture, I suppose, but I don’t see a clear benefit to either peeling or not peeling. Just do what you like!

I wasn’t able to make the zucchini noodles the same day I bought the zucchini because, well . . . life happens, so I was concerned that a not-so-firm zucchini might not work. I was wrong. It worked just fine! Of course, it is recommended to use fresh, firm vegetables for the best results, but I was happy that I can use veggies that are slightly past their prime. What a great way to avoid waste!

If you’re wondering about clean up, it was a cinch, as well. My spiralizer has removable blades that can be rinsed clean. I didn’t have any problems with the noodles or zucchini skin getting stuck in the blades or other parts of the spiralizer. Spiralizers usually come with a brush for cleaning between the teeth of the blades. You can put a handheld vegetable spiralizer on the top-rack of your dishwasher, as well.

How to Cook Zucchini Noodles

So, what do you do with the noodles once you’ve gotten them spiralized? My favorite way to cook zucchini noodles is to saute them in butter and salt. Sprinkle on a little parmesan and enjoy your low carb comfort food. You can also add onions, garlic, oregano and basil to the pan for more flavor. Sauteed zucchini noodles are yummy with or without sauce.

Sometimes, as in the pictures I included, I like to put some marinara on zoodles. Top with mozzarella and enjoy.