15 Minute Zucchini Spaghetti Recipe
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Zucchini spaghetti is a light, veggie-loaded take on a familiar favorite. Fresh zucchini noodles are served with a rich homemade tomato sauce. It’s an easy recipe for weeknights, as it’s ready in just 15 minutes!
Pasta night gets a lighter twist with this zucchini spaghetti. It’s not trying to be traditional pasta—and that’s exactly why I love it. The zucchini noodles are tender and fresh, soaking up the sauce beautifully, making it a satisfying, veggie-forward option.
I reach for this recipe in the summer when zucchini is everywhere, but it’s just as good year-round when I want something lighter. The sauce is where all the flavor comes from—caramelized onions, plenty of garlic, and a splash of balsamic create a rich, slightly sweet tomato base that clings to every strand.
It’s quick to make and perfect for weeknights. All you need is a spiralizer or julienne peeler to turn the zucchini into noodles, then toss everything together for a simple, flavorful dinner.
How to make the best zucchini noodles
If this is your first time making zucchini noodles, you’ll be surprised at how easy they are to make. All you need are some zucchinis (medium size seems to work best), and either a vegetable spiralizer or (my favorite) a julienne peeler .
A spiralizer is easy to use and makes nice curly noodles. A julienne peeler will make straight noodles that tend to be a bit thicket. But both zoodles taste the same. Many mandolines also have attachments for making long strips. You can also use a vegetable peeler to make zucchini ribbons in a pinch.
I don’t use the inner seedy part of the zucchini because it tends to turn soggy. I also don’t boil or sauté the noodles which keeps them fresh with a nice al-dente crunch. I salt them to help them soften, rinse them under hot water, and give them a good squeeze to remove excess moisture. That’s all there is to it!
What to serve with zucchini spaghetti
A serving of this zucchini spaghetti is often enough for us on its own as a vegetarian main. To make it a more filling meal, add an Italian seasoning chicken or some baked salmon on the side.
Salads that pair well with zucchini spaghetti
Zucchini Spaghetti Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchini (cut with a julienne peeler or spiralizer)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 medium onions (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons honey or coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (more to taste)
- Optional: parmesan cheese or a little nutritional yeast (to serve)
Instructions
- Place the julienned zucchini in a large bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons of sea salt. Set aside.2 large zucchini, 2 teaspoons sea salt
- Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. You want the onion to be nice and brown.2 tablespoons cooking oil, 2 medium onions, 3 cloves garlic
- Scrape the onion and garlic into a blender and add the diced tomatoes. Blend until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the pot and add the remaining ingredients. Heat until the sauce is warm.28 ounce can diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey or coconut sugar
- Rinse the zucchini pasta well under hot water then gently squeeze handfuls of it to dry.
- Serve the pasta with the sauce on top and a little parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast.
Notes
Nutrition
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Okay, need help, unclear on the following: Do you sautée the zucchini with onions mix after squeezing out the water or just serve raw with pasta on top? Never made zucchini spaghetti, but been wanting to for some time now.
After you rinse and squeeze the zucchini noodles dry, just pop them onto a plate. They are served raw, but because they sit in salt for a while, they soften. Another way to serve them is to skip the salt and saute them in a little oil until they are soft, but they stay a little more crisp when salted, which I prefer.
This has become my go to recipe when I need dinner in a hurry. I’ve made it at least 5 times now. Thanks so much!
Grape Seed oil is not Paleo!!
Hi! I’m completely in love with “zoodles” right now! Even my meat-lover partner tried and loved them! I must try your recipe with this scrumptious looking sauce 🙂 As I lack a julienne peeler, I just make large “pasta” with my regular peeler. I’ll buy a spiralizer as soon as I can so I can make this every week!
Great blog!
Thank you so much! Great idea about using a regular peeler to create larger noodles. I’ll have to try that next time!
What pretty photos! This sounds delicious!
Thank you so much!