Have you hopped on board the zucchini noodle (zoodle) trend yet? I wonder if I will look back on my spiralizer like my parents look back on their fondue pot that sat in a sad corner of their kitchen for decades. Zoodles are certainly healthier than fondue, plus they are gluten free and they lend themselves perfectly to one pan meals. The spiralizer trend just might have staying power. And this Zucchini Pasta with Creamy Pesto Tomato Sauce will be on repeat at my house.
While Charles dislikes spaghetti squash, he loves zoodles. He says that spaghetti squash tastes of nothing, while zoodles soak up the flavor of the sauce. Spaghetti squash needs to be roasted for close to an hour before it becomes soft, but zucchini noodles cook in just a few minutes, and you can cook them right in the sauce. When it comes to pasta substitutes, zucchini noodles might be the best.
Recently I paired zucchini noodles with a sauce that was made with sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes, mixed with some pesto and a touch of cream. The juice from the tomatoes mixed wonderfully with the pesto and cream to create a sauce that was a bit mellower than pesto.
Even though this dish is vegetarian, a generous amount of mushrooms gave heartiness to this dinner. Charles has a weird thing about not liking nuts in his food, so I refrained from adding toasted pine nuts, but I think they would have been delicious.
One thing to know about zoodles is that they don't reheat well. If they sit in the sauce they tend to become a soggy mess. I recommend cooking 1-1 ½ zucchini per person (depending on how hungry you are).
And in case you want some more recipes that substitute zucchini for pasta... here you go!
This Zucchini Lasagna with Bolognese sauce is both gluten free and meaty.
And this recipe for Zoodles alla Rustica is another quick and easy one skillet meal perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 3 Zucchini
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 8 ounces sliced Mushrooms
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 cups Grape or Cherry Tomatoes sliced in half
- ½ cup White Wine
- ⅓ cup Pesto
- 3 tablespoons Cream
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Start by spiralizing the zucchini. Set it aside (or just leave it on the counter) while you get to work on the sauce.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter had melted, add the mushrooms. Toss in the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. After 2 minutes, add ¼ cup of the wine and stir to combine. After another 4 minutes, add the tomatoes. Let the mushrooms and tomatoes cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the pesto, cream, cheese, and remaining wine to the skillet. Stir to combine. Then add the zucchini noodles on top. Let the zucchini cook for 6 minutes, stirring constantly so that they mix with the sauce.
- Serve immediately with a sprinkle of Parmesan on top.
