zucchini noodles Archives - Sugar-Free Mom

Low Carb Keto Zucchini Noodles Caprese Salad

Brenda Bennett — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 10:27:58 +0000

This gorgeous Caprese Fresh Zucchini Noodle Pasta Salad is keto, gluten free, low carb and simple with just 4 ingredients and a delicious dressing! Just 3 g net carbs per serving!

Low Carb Caprese Zucchini Noodle Salad

In the heat of the summer months, all I can think about is making keto recipes that do not require turning on my oven.

Simple sides like this recipe is what it’s all about for me and sometimes the simple ingredients make for the perfect dish.

Traditional pasta salad uses regular pasta noodles made from white refined flour or other high carbohydrate flours which won’t work well when you are trying to lose weight on a low carb diet or keto diet.

I will never tell you that zucchini noodles tastes like real pasta, but my keto pasta recipe with spiralized zucchini has just 4 total grams of carbs per serving and won’t kick you out of ketosis. If you’ve never tried zoodles, you should give this recipe a go!

To make this a complete meal, feel free to add any cooked protein of choice.

Caprese Salad with a Twist

A classic caprese salad gets a little make over adding in zucchini noodles to give it a little something extra in that bite. Smooth mozzarella, perfectly ripe and sweet cherry tomatoes and fresh basil make this a flavorful dish everyone will love.

Plus it’s that time of year that most gardens will have an excess of zucchini and tomatoes, am I right?

Zucchini noodle recipes became really popular for keto dieters to make a low carb meal to replace pasta in a typical pasta dish.

Honestly the best way I have found to enjoy zoodles is sauteed over medium heat with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese, sea salt and black pepper. Simple and delish!

FAQs

Why are the zucchini noodles raw?

Cooking zucchini noodles is totally up to you if you don’t want to eat this salad with raw zucchini. I find they have a nice bite when raw, like a cucumber does but again if you want to blanch the zucchini noodles until they are al dente you can certainly do that.

What can I use to spiralize the zucchini?

A julienne peeler is a great tool if you don’t have much space in the kitchen and will make strips of zucchini. A veggie spiralizer makes long, curly noodles using a large zucchini.

Can I make this Caprese salad ahead?

Yes you can make this caprese zucchini pasta salad up to one day ahead of time. Just keep stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Making ahead salads like this for a cookout or a simple side for a weeknight meal is how I like to roll in the summer. Stress free and easy is the theme I’m working on for a summer to enjoy with my kids and not slaving in the kitchen every day.

Easy Homemade Italian Dressing

Dressing doesn’t have to be complicated to have an impact of robust flavor. A hint of lemon is what gives it that freshness and zesty bite.

Keto Pasta Sauce Recommendations

Keto Alfredo Sauce -Primal Kitchen sells a great low carb option and has grams of net carbs, but if you feel like making it at home, here’s my recipe for Alfredo pizza!

Keto Tomato Sauce- Here is my homemade sauce but this brand has a good one as well.

Keto Marinara Sauce- my homemade marinara is quick and easy, but if you prefer to buy, I like the Rao’s brand because it is low in carbs.

How to Make Keto Zucchini Noodle Pasta Salad

For the exact measurements and printing ability with nutritional information please scroll down to the bottom of this post for the recipe card.

Simple Ingredients

Fresh zucchini noodles

Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Mozzarella cheese pearls

Fresh basil, chopped

Dressing

Extra virgin olive oil

Red wine vinegar

Fresh lemon juice

Sea salt

Black pepper

Garlic powder

Directions

Add all ingredients into a bowl.

Whisk dressing ingredients in another bowl and toss together.

Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Best Tips for Zucchini Pasta Salad

The zucchini noodles do tend to get kind of long so it’s best once in the bowl, cut them in half so it’s easier to serve.

I kept the skin on my zucchini and it is not cooked, this is eaten raw. Feel free to blanch or sauté the noodles if you prefer a softer texture.

I have a Paderno spiralizer.

Make ahead and refrigerate up to a day ahead.

Easy Dinner Recipes

Enjoy this refreshing side dish salad with any meal, like my Crock Pot BBQ Ribs or Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken Thighs!

How to Store Delicious Zucchini Noodles

Whenever you spiralize zucchini, you can keep it in an airtight container for up to 7 days raw. When you are ready to use it in a recipe, saute or blanch or serve raw like in this pasta salad.

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Low Carb Keto Zucchini Noodle Salad

Caprese Zucchini Noodle Pasta Salad

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings cups

Calories 166kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar-Free Mom

Ingredients

4 zucchini or 8 cups zucchini noodles
4 ounces cherry tomatoes sliced in half
8 ounces mozzarella pearls
1 ounce fresh basil chopped

Dressing

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice fresh
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

Add all ingredients into a bowl.
Whisk dressing ingredients in another bowl and toss together.
Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Video

Notes

Net Carbs: 3g

The zucchini noodles do tend to get kind of long so it’s best once in the bowl, cut them in half so it’s easier to serve.
I kept the skin on my zucchini and it is not cooked, this is eaten raw. Feel free to blanch or sauté the noodles if you prefer a softer texture.
I have a Paderno spiralizer.
Make ahead and refrigerate up to a day ahead.
This recipe was first published in June 2016 and updated with video in August 2018.

Nutrition

The post Low Carb Keto Zucchini Noodles Caprese Salad appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

Cheesy Zucchini Pasta Quinoa Bake

Brenda Bennett — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:55:48 +0000

Cheesy Zucchini Pasta Quinoa Bake needs only 5 ingredients!

Cheesy quinoa mixed with noodles and topped with a little parmesan to form a crust make this a comfort side dish like no other. You’d probably agree that zucchini isn’t much of a comfort food, but using a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles changes them from an ordinary in season summer vegetable to a fake out fantastic pasta dish!

My hubby bought me a spiralizer for Mother’s day and I hadn’t gotten around to using it until I saw the zucchini at Whole Foods looking quite fabulous. I’ve made zucchini noodles without a spiralizer as well using my Pampered Chef serrated peeler. It pretty much does the same thing, but the spiralizer will give you longer noodles that look like spaghetti. I must admit this recipe is one of the only ways my kids will actually enjoy zucchini. They aren’t fond of quinoa on it’s own either but were willing to try this recipe. After it came out of the oven we all took a fork and enjoyed it right from the dish! Gone in minutes!

Quinoa is considered a super food with a wonderful amount of protein and fiber and a great substitute to using rice in a dish. It’s actually a seed not a grain and gluten free. The problem is my children and hubby just don’t like it when they see it in a dish or just served on it’s own. I have to hide it within recipes and it works like a charm. Now obviously it can’t be hidden too much in this recipe, but because it looks so cheesy they were happy to try it and love it they did!

This recipe resembles closely my mini Zucchini Quinoa Cheese Bites with almost the same ingredients, but instead they are made into mini muffins and the zucchini is shredded.

Other Recipes you might like:

I can’t guarantee you’re family will eat zucchini or quinoa on their own served plainly at dinner but combining them into this masterpiece they are surely going to want to try at least a bite and that single bite might be enough to win them over. If not you can enjoy it all to yourself for a few days worth!

Brenda’s notes:

Add some protein and make this into just 2 servings for a meal or keep as a side dish for 4.
You can use any oil of choice in this recipe as well as cheese of choice.
To make one cup cooked quinoa, add 1/2 cup dry quinoa to a pot with 1 cup water. Boil 12-15 minutes until all water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

Cheesy Zucchini Quinoa Bake

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 246kcal

Author Brenda Bennett

Ingredients

4 cups zucchini noodles or 2 medium zucchini
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Toss zucchini, cheddar, quinoa, oil and salt together in a bowl then spread into an 8 by 8 baking dish.
Sprinkle parmesan over the top and bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points Plus: 7*

Nutrition

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The post Cheesy Zucchini Pasta Quinoa Bake appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

Nut Free Basil Parsley Pesto and Zucchini Noodles

Brenda Bennett — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 12:03:49 +0000

This Nut Free Basil Parsley Pesto is an easy way to use up fresh herbs from your garden!

When you have a garden full of fresh basil and parsley why not make some pesto right? Pesto can be used on so many wonderful things; for a pizza instead of sauce, for grilling chicken as a marinade, and especially over pasta!

Using a good amount of basil and a little less parsley makes a nice balance in taste than typical basil pesto. But feel free to make it all with basil if you prefer.

Instead of typical pasta I also needed to use all the zucchini from my garden as well. What better than to make Zucchini Noodles of course!

Many people might just buy a Spiralizer or zucchini spiral cutter for the zucchini noodles, but since I already had a serrated Pampered Chef peeler, that’s what I used.

They look like the bottom orange and do a great job! Just use like you are peeling the skin off and it really doeasn’t take any time at all.

Messermeister 3-pc. Pro-Touch Peeler Trio

I used about a 1/2 cup of pesto with about 4 cups of spiral zucchini which was about 4 of them. I topped it with a few pistachios and called it dinner!

Seriously, doesn’t that look like pasta?? Love it and I hope you’ll give it a try!

The nutrition info below is just for the pesto sauce.

Nut Free Basil Parsley Pesto

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings

Calories 144kcal

Author Brenda Bennett

Ingredients

3 cups fresh packed basil leaves
1 cup fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt taste and adjust
pepper to taste

Instructions

Place all ingredients into blender.
Pulse into smooth consistency or to your liking.
Taste and adjust salt if needed.
Makes 1 cup.
Keep refrigerated.

Nutrition

The post Nut Free Basil Parsley Pesto and Zucchini Noodles appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.