Lemon Garlic Zoodles are a healthy and easy side dish recipe made with fresh zucchini noodles, lemon, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. It takes less than 10 minutes to cook, making an excellent side for weeknight dinners or add protein to make it a meal!
Zucchini noodles are a great side dish or meal that is easy to make. For this recipe, I combine spiralized zucchini noodles with lemon for a light and flavorful dish that has a crunch.
Zoodles cook fast and it’s so easy to make them, plus you can serve them so many ways. We love them with 30 minute pasta sauce or just covered in cheese, or with grilled chicken! This lemon twist is super flavorful and satisfying and adds a little oomph with flavor. Even if you’re not gluten-free or doing paleo, these are a great side dish – we make them often!
Ingredient Notes
- Zucchini: Use fresh zucchini, two of them makes enough for about 4 sides or 2 mains.
- Garlic: Minced garlic – which means chopped small. You can also press it or use garlic paste.
- Lemon Juice: Use fresh lemon juice – you can also add a teaspoon lemon zest for extra punch.
- Red Pepper Flakes: This adds a little flavor, not too much heat. Don’t skip it!
- Spiralizer: You’ll need one of these to make your zucchini pasta. They sell attachments for stand mixers too, but we just use a basic spiralizer. If you don’t have a spiralizer you can use a vegetable peeler, but the texture will be thinner.
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How to Make Zoodles
- Use a spiralizer to cut zucchini into long ribbons and use a paper-towel to pat them dry and remove excess water.
- Cook garlic until fragrant then add the zoodles, tossing them with the spices.
- You want to only cook a few minutes until they’re crisp-tender so they don’t get soggy – they’ll continue to cook a little even after you take them off the stove.
- Sprinkle with the cheese and serve hot.
Serving Suggestions
- Cook up some shrimp or a chicken breast to add some protein.
- Add cherry tomatoes or other veggies with the zucchini to make it an even more filling dish.
- We love a fresh basil garnish too.
Storing Leftovers
While you can technically store zoodles, I don’t recommend it. They’ll get super soft when reheating. Same goes for freezing – it’s best to make as much as you’ll eat and not save leftovers.
Expert Tips
- Because it doesn’t take long to cook, it’s a good idea to have all of your ingredients prepped before you start cooking.
- We use oil but you could also use butter to cook the noodles.
- This dish is best when it’s served right away, so don’t let it sit too long. Otherwise, the zucchini will get a little soggy.
- You can switch the fresh parsley for another fresh herb like cilantro or chives.
Lemon Garlic Zoodles Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Zucchini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- Juice from ½ lemon
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley for garnish
- Lemon zest for garnish
Instructions
- Use a spiralizer to cut zucchini into a noodle texture
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute and the smell of the garlic is released.
- Add zucchini noodles and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until zucchini noodles have softened just a bit. Don’t over cook them or they can become soggy.
- Add lemon juice, red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Combine and then remove from heat. Garnish with lemon zest and parsley and serve!!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- These zoodles make a great side dish for almost any meat or fish.
- If you like a strong lemon flavor add a bit more lemon juice. Likewise if you like a strong garlic flavor add another clove.
Recipe Nutrition
