Zucchini Pasta Olio
Hi Welcome to This Wife Cooks!
If you’re hopping over from Pinterest, you’re in good company! Over 7,000 people so far have re-pinned and made this Zucchini Pasta Olio. It’s such an amazingly easy and deliciously customizable low carb meal!
Confession: It took me quite while to get on board with the whole zucchini-as-noodles craze. I had been seeing recipes everywhere though that featured zucchini as a substitute for pasta (“zoodles” as some say) so I finally decided this would be an interesting first way to break in my new vegetable spiralizer gadget. If you don’t have one of these tools in your kitchen, stop what you’re doing right now and go get one. Seriously, it was so easy and fun to use!
I really didn’t have very high hopes that, just because the zucchini now looked like pasta, it would be an acceptable replacement, but it was perfect! Don’t get me wrong, you’re not going to trick anyone into thinking they’re eating pasta but it’s the shape and denseness of the zucchini that does make it appealing. The trick to avoiding too-soft zucchini is the same as with pasta – don’t overcook it! Only take it to the al dente stage and you’re all set.
Want to make it vegan? Just substitute the butter and cheese for veg versions (or leave them out altogether).
Alright, break out your spiralizer (or pick up a package of already-spiralized zucchini from your produce department) and let’s get cooking!
Add a sprinkling or red pepper flakes over the top if you like a little extra heat!
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchini, cut into spirals
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 1/8 cup butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat the oil and butter over Medium heat until butter is melted.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat 1-2 tsp. olive oil. Add the zucchini and toss to coat.
- Pour in 1/4c water or broth. Allow to simmer until zucchini reaches al dente consistency, approximately 5 minutes. Drain well to remove any excess liquid.
- Return zucchini to skillet. Drizzle with oil and garlic mixture. Toss to coat well.
- Top with Parmesan cheese and serve warm.
YUM!