4 Ways to Make Zoodles and How to Cook Them

Got zucchini? Make zucchini noodles for a fun, low carb summer meal. They're a healthy, gluten-free pasta alternative, and cook up much faster than regular pasta! Toss with pesto, corn and tomatoes for a simple dinner. Or add them to soups and salads.

There are a few ways of making zoodles (sometimes also called zucchetti), so if you don't have a spiralizer, and don't want to purchase one, I've got you covered.

Updated June 12, 2022

Jump to:

• What are zoodles?
• How do I make my own zoodles?
• #1. How to make zoodles with a spiralizer
• Recommended Spiralizer
• #2. How to make zoodles with a vegetable peeler
• Recommended Vegetable Peeler
• #3. How to make zoodles with a julienne peeler
• Recommended Julienne Peeler
• #4. How to make zoodles with a hand-held mandolin
• Recommended Mandolin
• Advantages of using zoodles
• Tips in Cooking Zoodles
• Ways to use Zoodles
• Simply Cooked Zoodles for Pasta (Recipe)

Zoodles are great any time of year, but especially in summer when we crave light food that requires little cooking. And little time in a hot kitchen.

They're also a great last-minute dinner when you have no idea what to make tonight. And it's already 6pm.

Trust me.

What are zoodles?

Zoodles are noodles made from zucchini, which is why some people refer to them as zucchetti. There are several ways to make these noodles, as shown below.

But making this type of vegetable noodle isn't restricted to only zucchini.

You can do this with other vegetables too. Butternut squash, sweet potatoes and even beets are some of my favorite spiralized vegetable noodles. These Beet Noodles with whipped feta is amazing. Or these Spiralized Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Dates.

But if a recipe refers to zoodles or zucchetti, it means zucchini noodles.

How do I make my own zoodles?

Let's look at each of these methods in a little more detail.

#1. How to make zoodles with a spiralizer

The most popular way to make zoodles for pasta is using a spiralizer. It's an excellent way to get long, luscious "noodles" similar to spaghetti pasta.

1. Set up. Anchor the spiralizer to a work space so that it won't move around while you spiralize the zucchini. Many spiralizers now offer this option. Select the grater you want to use - I use the one with the smallest holes. Some models come with 3 graters. Others offer as many as 10. Slide it into the spiralizer. Place a bowl at the end to catch the spirals of zucchini.
2. Prep. Choose the straightest zucchini. Slice off the top and bottom of the zucchini. It's best if the top and bottom are cut closely parallel to each other. This makes it easier to get firm attachment to the spiralizer.
3. Attach. Fit one end of the zucchini into the spoke of the grater (shown on the left of the pictured spiralizer), and anchor it with the prongs on the handle (shown on the right).
4. Twirl. Turn the handle to spin the zucchini around the spoke, and against the grater. As you push the zucchini through the grater with your other hand, zoodles come out the other end. Magic.
5. Cut. The strands are long, so it's best to cut them a couple of times to create shorter zoodles.

#2. How to make zoodles with a vegetable peeler

I use this method when making zoodles for lasagna, but I recommend stacking 2 on top of each other to form 1 lasagna "noodle" or overlapping them in the baking dish. These zoodles are fairly thin, and as they cook, a single thickness tends to disappear in all the sauce and cheese.

I sometimes roll individual zoodles up with the ricotta cheese filling and sauce to make lasagna too. These zoodles are thin enough to easily roll.

This method only has 2 easy steps.

1. Prep. Slice the top and bottom from the zucchini.
2. Peel. Grip the zucchini with one hand, and set the peeler at the top edge of the zucchini. Firmly swipe the vegetable peeler down the length of the zucchini, keeping an even pressure the entire length.

Tip: This method doesn't work as well for large zucchini, as the peeler may not be wide enough to get consistent zoodles.

#3. How to make zoodles with a julienne peeler

Using a tool to julienne zucchini creates long, skinny zoodles, perfect for salads, tacos, burritos, and soups.

It can also be a substitute for spiralized zoodles in pasta dishes. It will take longer to julienne a whole zucchini, versus spiralizing, but there's no set up and storage is easy.

This method only has the same 2 steps as using a vegetable peeler.

1. Prep. Slice the top and bottom from the zucchini.
2. Peel. Grip the zucchini with one hand, and set the peeler at the top edge of the zucchini. Firmly swipe the vegetable peeler down the length of the zucchini, keeping an even pressure the entire length.

If you don't have a spiralizer, and don't want to purchase one, a julienne tool is a good alternative approach for pasta.

#4. How to make zoodles with a hand-held mandolin

Using a hand-held mandolin to make flat zoodles gives you a wonderful thin noodle. And most, if not all, hand-held mandolins offer at least 3 different adjustments for the thickness of the "noodle".

The thinnest setting is ideal for sandwiches, and any kind of roll-up appetizer. The thicker settings are perfect for lasagna (except a roll-up lasagna where each zoodle is rolled up with the ricotta cheese and sauce).

1. Set up. Select the thickness setting on the mandolin you want.
2. Prep. Slice the zucchini in half, lengthwise. You can skip this step if you choose to keep the zucchini whole. But it will take several swipes to get full noodles due to the irregular shapes of zucchini. Slicing the zucchini in half also makes it more stable as it travels across the blade.
3. Safely position. Position the zucchini on the mandolin in front of the blade. Using either a plastic gripper (that comes with the mandolin) or a thick cloth, firmly grip the zucchini.
4. Slide. Slide the zucchini smoothly over the blade. Pay close attention to where your fingers and palm are at all times, particularly as the zucchini is sliced down. Use the last thickness of zucchini to add to soups, salads, and casseroles rather than try for one more slice.

Slicing zucchini in half first, gives you a flat surface to run across the mandolin blade and makes the zucchini more stable on the blade.

Safety Note: Before running out to purchase a hand-held mandolin, please know that they are extremely sharp and can do serious damage to a hand that's unprotected. Here is the right way and the wrong way to use a hand-held mandolin.

How to use a hand-held mandolin

In the left photo labeled "Wrong Way", the fingers are only protected by the vegetable that you're peeling. But you're not really holding it. You're actually pressing down on the top of the zucchini. And that slippery devil can slip away, placing your fingers and palm in danger of a serious cut.

In the right photo labeled "Right Way", the hand holds a gripper that has teeth. The gripper comes with every mandolin. Be sure to use it.

The drawback: the gripper doesn't allow you the ability to guide the zucchini over the blade as well as your hand. A half-way approach is to hold the zucchini with a small towel or even wash cloth. That way, if the zucchini slips away, you have a thick, fluffy towel protecting your hand.

I hope you give these ways to make zoodles a try, as they're a wonderful alternative to regular to spaghetti (and other) traditional noodles.

Advantages of using zoodles

• Low-carb
• Gluten-free
• Cook faster, and can eat raw
• A fun way to get more vegetables onto your plate

Tips in Cooking Zoodles

Watery and soggy zoodles is the most common problem everyone runs into. Here are my 5 DON'Ts you should follow if you want zoodles with a little bite.

• Don't salt the zoodles as you cook them. This draws out a lot of moisture.
• Don't cover the zoodles while they sauté. This traps the moisture.
• Don't overcrowd the pan. If you have a lot of zoodles to cook, do it in batches.
• Don't cook them too long. Once they fully relax into the pan, move them to a plate and serve. They shouldn't need to cook longer than 2 minutes. It's better to undercook zoodles than overcook them.
• Don't use too low of heat when sautéeing zoodles. Medium is best.

Now, go make some zoodles!

Ways to use Zoodles

Sauté with garlic, olive oil and Parmesan cheese, and top with grilled vegetable skewers

Zucchini lasagna

Vegetable soup with julienned zoodles

Toss with pesto, corn and tomatoes

Add to a salad

Toss with balsamic roasted tomatoes or roasted vegetables

Toss with lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper, Parmesan and a light dusting of crushed dried red pepper flakes

If you eat fish, top zoodles with shrimp scampi, and melt some mozzarella on top - or use swap out the shrimp for salmon.