Zucchini Noodles

Published August 26, 2021. Updated September 4, 2021

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Healthy Zucchini Noodles (“Zoodles”) – fresh zucchini are cut into spaghetti-like strands, tossed with olive oil and roasted in the oven until tender. Finish with your favorite sauce for the perfect summery main dish!

Baked Zucchini Noodles

While there are several ways to cook zucchini noodles, I think oven baking is easily the best way to go.

The other options are boiling and sauteing but they each have a downside. Boiling will mute the flavor plus they’ll end up watery. And with sauteing they don’t cook as evenly.

The great thing here is cooking them in the oven is about as easy as it gets! You don’t have to toss constantly, you don’t have to tend to them super closely, and it will get a large quantity cooked at once.

It’s a straightforward method that consistently yields great results. And it’s an excellent way to use up an abundance of zucchini and fit more veggies into your diet.

Sauces to Serve with Zoodles

Beefy Spaghetti Sauce (store-bought or homemade)
Marinara
Alfredo Sauce (lighten up with more milk, less cream, and a little less butter if desired. Thicken with an extra 1/2 Tbsp flour).
Basil Pesto
Vodka Sauce
Peanut Sauce
Sesame Sauce

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Zucchini Noodles

3 lbs. medium zucchini, ends trimmed (preferably about 8 oz. in size each)
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tools Needed

A zucchini noodle maker, A.K.A. a spiralizer. I have this one HERE.
A rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet.

How to Make Zucchini Noodles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
Set a spiralizer with a blade that has approximately 1/8-inch wide holes. Cut the zucchini into noodles according to manufacturers directions (per spiralizer).
If shorter noodles are desired then cut noodles into lengths about 12-inches long using kitchen shears (this step can be skipped, noodles are just very long otherwise).

How to Cook Zucchini Noodles

Transfer zucchini noodles to prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss well to evenly coat.
Spread noodles even.
Bake in center of the oven until noodles have reached desired tenderness, about 12 to 18 minutes.*
Depending on what you are serving over them, you may want to drain in a colander to remove excess liquid or carefully dab dry with paper towels. In a rush you can just use tongs to remove them from pan and leave behind excess liquid.

Can they be made without a spiralizer?

Yes. Zucchini noodles can also be made with a mandoline, a julienne peeler or a box grater, BUT the quickest most efficient way is by using a spiralizer, especially when working with this quantity.
You can try those methods if you only need one serving. Keep in mind bake time will decrease as well.

Can zoodles be frozen?

Yes. Zoodles can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave.

Helpful Tips

Use medium zucchini for best results.
Avoid extra large zucchini with tough skins or too many seeds.
Also, I don’t recommend small zucchini as they don’t shred in the spiralizer as well (if it has a corer anyway, you’ll end up with lots of really short noodles).
I like to use zucchini that are straighter through the length. If needed you can cut those that are crooked in half so they run through the the spiralizer better.
Keep in mind when topping with various sauces that you don’t get the starches that normally thicken that are found in a semolina style pasta. Therefore, you may want to make sauces a little thicker with some cornstarch or flour or simmer further to reduce juices.

Variations

Bake with cherry tomatoes (tossed with olive oil) over the top. Finish with cooked bacon, if desired.
Toss in cooked shrimp (or bake with olive oil coated shrimp on top then remove them earlier if needed).
Add minced garlic.
Serve with more olive oil, shredded parmesan and a little fresh lemon juice.
Try cutting zucchini noodles into different shapes depending on the spiralizer blades you have (adjust bake times accordingly). Or try cutting into sheets with a mandoline to make zucchini lasagna.

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Zucchini Noodles shown topped with a beefy spaghetti sauce.

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