Butter Parmesan Zoodles | Easy No-Cook 15-Minute Side Dish

Enjoy these delicious savory butter parmesan zoodles for an easy summer side dish. This low-carb pasta alternative has just 3 ingredients and comes together fast!

Anytime I share a new zucchini recipe with you guys, I like to share a quick story of how the recipe came about.

Like my Zucchini Bread Muffins with Apples and Carrots. I made these because I was trying to add more vegetables to my family’s breakfasts.

And the single-serving Death by Chocolate Zucchini Mug Cake was because I desperately wanted something rich and decadent but didn’t want to heat up the kitchen.

Well, my story for these butter parmesan zoodles is very straightforward:

I made them and they rocked. The end.

HOMEMADE ZUCCHINI NOODLES

Okay, so there’s just a little bit more to the zucchini noodles story.

Mr. Crumbs and I are going on vacation later this year, and we both sit at desks for a large chunk of the day, which makes it hard to feel confident in a bathing suit.

So, we’re trying to eat more good stuff. That means more veggies!

A couple of years ago, my aunt found a killer deal on this spiralizer and sent it to me as a gift. Now that we’re trying to swap veggies for pasta, I’m using this thing ALL THE TIME.

My first experiment was zoodles with my Homemade Hearty Spaghetti Sauce. It was good, but it really felt like I ate a bowl of sauce with zoodles on the side. I think next time I’ll try my lighter, 15-Minute Spaghetti Sauce instead.

A couple of days later I was cooking dinner and I didn’t have enough zucchini to make a full entrée. I tried making a zoodle side dish and added butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to the spiralized zucchini. It was perfection!

WHY MAKE NOODLES WITH ZUCCHINI

So why should you make noodles with zucchini? Do zoodles taste good?

These butter parmesan zoodles sure do! They’re:

• Low carb.
• Loaded with potassium and vitamin C.
• A great option for a vegan or vegetarian dish.
• Gluten-free.
• An easy way to use up some of the overabundance of zucchini from the garden.

This recipe is incredibly easy, much like 90 Minute Man Bread and 15 Minute Alfredo Sauce. They’re so simple, yet very, very good.

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BUTTER PARMESAN ZOODLES TIPS

Now, I’m fairly new to the spiralizer craze as a whole, so I had to do some digging on how to cook zoodles…or if you even have to cook them at all.

For this recipe, I decided to leave the zoodles raw. I already know that when the zucchini is overflowing the garden, I’m not going to want to cook.

So, we aren’t boiling water, turning on the stove, or heating anything.

In the case of today’s zoodles, there are two key tricks to help you get the texture of zucchini noodles just right, so that you end up with a dish that resembles pasta, and you can twirl your fork in the zoodles and soak up the butter and cheesy goodness.

1. START WITH ROOM TEMPERATURE BUTTER AND ZOODLES.

• You’re going to melt the butter, but melted butter is hot.
• If you keep your zucchini in the fridge, it’s going to be cold when you spiralize it.
• Hot butter + cold zucchini = zoodles with chunks of butter, and it’s not exactly pretty.
• It’s good if you don’t mind eating small chunks of butter with your zoodles, but it’s not exactly award-winning.
• However, if you let the butter cool slightly, and bring the zucchini to room temperature, you get a bowl of deliciousness for dinner. Highly recommend.

2. REMOVE THE EXCESS WATER FROM THE ZUCCHINI.

• Zucchini contains A LOT of water, so after you’ve spiralized the zucchini, spread it out on a towel. Cover it with a second towel, gently roll it all up together, and let the zucchini sit for about 10 minutes. The towels will absorb the excess liquid, and you’ll get perfectly plump zoodles for your recipe!
• A secondary option is to place the zoodles in a colander with a sprinkle of salt. Let the excess moisture drain for about 10 minutes. This method works, but I feel like it leaves the zoodles slightly damp.
• Note that you COULD skip this step, but the zoodles will inevitably leak the water and it could ruin your sauce. I don’t recommend it.
• This dish is best when served immediately. If you want to get ahead, you can spiralize the zucchini, remove the excess water, and store it in the fridge. Just don’t forget to bring it to room temperature before you add the butter and Parmesan!

COURGETTE NOODLES INGREDIENTS

Here’s what you need to make courgette noodles (courgette is the French name for this green squash, used in England and France, whereas we typically use the Italian “zucchini” here in the United States. Zoodles are “zucchini nudeln” in Germany!).

• Zucchini
• Butter, melted and cooled
• Shredded Parmesan
• Salt & pepper, to taste

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HOW TO MAKE BUTTER PARMESAN ZOODLES RECIPE

Step 1. Using manufacturer instructions, spiralize the zucchini. (I have this spiralizer and love it!)

Step 2. Spread the spiralized zucchini on a kitchen towel and cover with a second towel. Roll up gently from the end and allow the zucchini to sit for 10 minutes.

Step 3. Unroll the zucchini and place it in a bowl.

TOOLS FOR THE BEST SPIRAL ZUCCHINI NOODLES

• I use this spiralizer to make my spiral zucchini noodles. But a julienne peeler works too if you don’t have space for a spiralizer. I’ve seen some mandoline slicers with a spiral function, but have not tried it.
• Using a nifty butter crock like this one means you can keep your butter at room temperature. Perfect for this butter parmesan zoodles side dish or for slathering on a fresh slice of bread!

This recipe is featured in my One Week No-Cook Meal Plan! Perfect for hot summers when you don’t want to heat up the house!

WHAT TO SERVE WITH ZOODLES

This zucchini butter pasta is a great option for a variety of meals.

Even though this is the no-cook version of zoodles, you can still top them with your favorite pasta sauces, and they make a delicious main dish. The warm sauce heats the zoodles just enough that they have the texture of al dente pasta. Try one of these yummy options:

Or enjoy this zoodles side dish with these main dishes:

Chances are, if you have plenty of zucchini for zoodles, you also have more summer produce. Try one of these meals to enjoy the fresh flavors of summer!

EASY ZUCCHINI NOODLES FAQS

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