Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles Recipe (2024)

By Marjory Pilley Published Aug 6, 2019 · Updated Apr 22, 2020

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Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles are a fun side dish that pairs perfectly with shrimp, chicken, and meatballs. This recipe is low-carb, keto and gluten-free...but that's not all you'll love about it!

If you have a skillet full of Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles or "zoodles" then a balanced dinner is just minutes away.

That's why I can't say enough good things about spiralized zucchini recipes. This recipe is very similar to Lemon Garlic Zucchini Noodles. All the same tips and tricks apply, except that Parmesan Cheese is stirred in at the last minute instead of lemon juice.

Both versions are very tasty but have distinctly different flavor profiles.

Step by Step Details

Below are notes related to each step of the recipe instructions for Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles. Or scroll down for the recipe card.

1 - Spiralize Zucchini.

Zucchini is easily made into zoodles with a hand-held spiralizer. If you don't have one, then use a vegetable peeler to make ribbons as we did to make zucchini ribbons sauteed in garlic and rosemary

The noodles can be very long. Cut long strands in half so they are manageable to eat.

You do NOT need to peel the zucchini unless you want to. The skin adds color and contains nutritional value.

Pat the noodles dry if they are very "wet" which often happens if they have been prepared ahead of time.

2 - Melt butter and olive oil in a skillet and sautee pressed or minced garlic.

This recipe calls for equal amounts of butter and olive oil. If desired, use only olive oil and/or use dairy-free butter for a vegan version of zucchini noodles with garlic and Parmesan.

Garlic can be minced with a knife or use a garlic press (my choice because you just drop the garlic clove in, skin and all and squeeze!)

3 - Add zucchini noodles to the skillet and saute for 3-5 minutes.

Don't overcook the noodles. They should be tender but still firm. If you will be stirring in cooked shrimp or chicken, take that time into account.

4 - Grate Parmesan cheese over the top of the zucchini noodles.

For a vegan version, sprinkle with nutritional yeast or make this Vegan Parmesan Cheese by Jessica in the Kitchen.

Parmesan cheese is not vegetarian. However, there are products that are not made with animal-derived rennet including one from Trader Joe's. Kraft also makes one with microbial rennet.

What to serve with Parmesan Garlic Zucchini Noodles

This dish easily becomes a one-pot meal by cooking a protein in the pan either before or after preparing the noodles. Here are some pairings to try:

• Skillet Shrimp in 10 Minutes or Less
• Chicken and Apple Sausage, such as Aidells
• Crispy Pan Fried Tofu by iFoodreal

One of the strategies in our Healthy Weekly Dinner Plan is to cook once and eat twice. The following core recipes pair perfectly with Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles.

• Add cooked and diced Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken or Baked Blackened Chicken to the cooked zucchini noodles to create a new meal.
• If you have Baked Chicken Parmesan Meatballs or Easy Chicken Meatballs in the freezer, defrost and mix them with the zoodles to create a spaghetti-like dish. You can even stir in marinara sauce.

If you have a favorite way to use your zucchini noodles, drop us a note in the comments below.

Please rate this recipe and tag @DinnerMom or #DinnerMom on social media. We love to see what you are cooking up!

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