Name: Zucchini Noodles with Meat Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4-5 small/med Zucchini, shaved using potato peeler, julienne or spiral sliced; 1 lb Ground Beef, or turkey, chicken; 2 tsp Olive Oil; 1 Jar Favorite Marinara or Pasta sauce; 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, diced; 1/2 Green Bell Pepper, diced; 1 small Onion, diced; Optional, 1 cup white mushrooms, diced; Salt and Pepper for taste; Grated Parmesan, optional

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Delicious meat sauce is served with easy-to-make zucchini noodles. If you’re looking for a low carb meal or just craving veggies instead of pasta, this is it!

How Do You Make Zucchini Noodles?

There are so many ways to make zucchini noodles, also known as “Zoodles”. The tool that I personally have is the Veggetti. But many people also have the mack-daddy Spiralizer. In my opinion, you don’t need any fancier tool than your trusty potato peeler.

The way that I make my zoodles is likely different than most people – in fact, I don’t even cook mine longer than warming them. The reason I don’t cook my zucchini noodles is that they always seem to get too watery.

I will either warm my zoodles in a microwave safe dish for about 30 seconds or flash fry them in a hot pan for no longer than a minute. A lot of times, I don’t even do that, I’ll eat them raw.

How Many Zucchini Do You Need to Make Zoodles?

When you are making zucchini noodles, a little goes a long way. I could personally eat an entire medium sized zucchini to myself, but that really depends on your hunger. One large zucchini makes enough zoodles for two people.

If you are cooking for a family of 4, I would gauge 1 small-medium zucchini per person, depending on hunger.

Can You Use Summer Squash to Make Zucchini Noodles?

Absolutely, and I do, OFTEN! Sometimes the yellow, Summer squash looks better in the store than the zucchini so I have no problem using it.

I’ve even used both in the same dish – it makes things pretty!

Zucchini Noodles with Meat Sauce

For this recipe, I used jarred sauce because we needed EASY on a weeknight. You can certainly make your sauce from scratch but I like the convenience of jarred marinara when we are busy.

I do, however, like to doctor my sauce a little when I have a bit more time. To do this, I just sauté some peppers and onions while I’m browning the meat, and then add the sauce to simmer for a about 20 minutes.

Zucchini Noodles with Meat Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Delicious meat sauce is served with easy-to-make zucchini noodles. If you're looking for a low carb meal or just craving veggies instead of pasta, this is it!

Ingredients

4-5 small/med Zucchini, shaved using potato peeler, julienne or spiral sliced
1 lb Ground Beef, or turkey, chicken
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 Jar Favorite Marinara or Pasta sauce
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 small Onion, diced
Optional, 1 cup white mushrooms, diced
Salt and Pepper for taste
Grated Parmesan, optional

Instructions

In a large pan, heat olive oil over med/high heat, once hot, add the ground beef and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the peppers and onions.
Once the meat is browned, add in the sauce and bring to a simmer, reduce heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, make the zucchini noodles using your tool of choice.
If you prefer to warm the zoodles, place them in a microwave safe dish and then warm them on high for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Or you can heat some olive oil in a large saute pan and flash fry the zoodles by quickly tossing them into the pan when it's hot and removing them quickly.
Divide the zoodles among plates/bowls then top with sauce.
Top with Parmesan if you choose!

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 servings Serving Size 1 grams
Amount Per Serving Calories 567Total Fat 29gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 154mgSodium 545mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 6gSugar 10gProtein 50g

Nutrition calculation is offered as a courtesy and no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. The data provided are a product of online nutrition calculators and should be considered an estimate only. I am not a registered dietician nor a certified nutritionist. For more accurate information, or if you have dietary restrictions, please consult a trusted professional. A Healthy Makeover strongly supports Intuitive Eating, body trust, and Health at Every Size.