One Pot Zucchini Pasta
One Pot Zucchini Pasta is an easy, light and healthy meal made from summer’s finest produce. It’s vegan and gluten-free + it comes together in less than 20 minutes!
Say hello to summer in a pot!
Spiralized zucchini noodles, perfectly ripe juicy tomatoes, fresh basil, savory garlic and vibrant red onion.
What’s that saying? Eat the rainbow? Yeah, I think we’ve got that covered.
Okay, so I forgot blue.
SO LISTEN. This meal is not only ridiculously simple, light AND healthy but it’s also bursting with flavor from all of the fresh seasonal produce.
Like tomatoes! They’re especially amazing right now. We’ve been growing some small cherry tomatoes in our garden but the local heirloom varieties have been really taking the cake. They’re so juicy and the flavor is just unbelievably good. I’ve been making tempeh BLT’s with every chance I get.
I’ve also been on a bit of a zucchini kick lately so be prepared for a few more green recipes coming your way soon. This one is definitely the easiest and I know you guys like easy as much as I do so I couldn’t wait to share it with you!
The hardest part is spiralizing the zucchini and if you already happen to have a spiralizer then you know it’s no biggie.
I bought my mom this one for Mother’s Day (the same one I have) and I know she still hasn’t opened it yet so I’m hoping this recipe will be easy enough to inspire her to give it a try. We’ll see!
So once you have your zoodles all ready to go, all you have to do is sauté the garlic and onion in a little bit of extra virgin oil so that it’s infused with delicious garlicky flavor.
Then you add the zoodles, the tomatoes, and some seasoning and let them cook for just a few minutes- they don’t take long at all!
Top it off with some fresh basil and possibly some parmesan cheese (totally optional if you’re dairy-free) and voila! Dinner is served.
It’s a great way to pack in lots of veggies for dinner and, seeing how most of the produce is currently in season, it’s an affordable option too.
I personally like to top it with parmesan for a little protein and then serve it with a side salad and a glass of crisp white wine. Mmm…summer perfection!
However, if you’re trying to avoid dairy, feel free to omit the parmesan cheese. I’ve tried it without and it still has plenty of flavor. I would just eat it with a side salad topped with nuts and/or seeds for more protein.
I hope you love this one, friends! Let me know if you end up trying it by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. It always makes my day! :)
One Pot Zucchini Pasta
Yield: 4
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 10
Total Time: 20

Ingredients:
2 pounds zucchini (approx. 4-5 large zucchini), spiralized
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large red onion (or two small), thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh basil
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
shredded parmesan for topping (optional)
Directions:
Start by warming the olive oil in a large pot over low to medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, until fragrant.
Next add the zucchini noodles to the pot and season them with salt & pepper. Cover the pot with a lid and allow to cook for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Add the tomatoes to the pot and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or so. I prefer to use tongs to toss the noodles so that they cook evenly and I also like them a little firm. You can taste test a piece of zucchini noodle at this point to see if it’s soft enough for your liking. If not, continue to cook for another couple of minutes.
Lastly, add the fresh basil, crushed red pepper (if using), and parmesan cheese (optional) to the pot then stir together. Divide the pasta onto separate plates and garnish with fresh basil. Serve warm and enjoy!
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The zucchini will produce a little bit of water as it sits but you can just pour it out before reheating.
Nutrition Facts for one serving without cheese
Nutrition Facts for one serving + 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!
Oh yum!! I really need a spiralizer. Love that you’re trying to get your mom to open hers haha. I’ve definitely bought my mom kitchen gadgets that she never used. I’ve barely touched my fresh basil all summer and I have no idea why. Time to fix that!
Oh, you better get on that basil girl! ;)
NO WAY! I never thought to make a one-pot pasta out of veggie noodles and this is GUH-EEEEN-IOUS! So simple, so fresco! I have a whole carton of those adorbs multi-color heirloom tomatoes and haven’t figured out what to do with them…problem solved! Hope you had a fun weekend, lady!
So pretty and bright and summery!! Love it!
I have that same spiralizer. I think I put it on my wishlist because you had it? I can’t remember. Anyway, I love it! David doesn’t love cleaning it though. haha. Have you used it with cucumbers? It’s a fun way to add them to Greek salads. This “pasta” looks so delicious. I’m going to have to give it a try!
I know, it is a pain to clean! I cut the crap out of my finger cleaning it so now I make Brandon do it, lol. I think I’m going to get a little scrub brush to help clean the blades!
I just started using my handheld spiralizer and I LOVE it! So delicious and so easy to make- love that this is one pot and that the vegetables are really the star of the recipe :)
This is the prettiest pasta I’ve ever seen!! I have a tiny spiralizer that I haven’t used nearly as much as I should. And the summer is almost over and I don’t think I’ve cooked with zucchini at all! oops! I guess I just gotta make this pasta so I can eat all the zucchini and make up for it!
I’m certain that if I got my mom a spiralizer she wouldn’t use it either. Every other week I’d be like “so… did you use that spiralizer I SPENT MONEY ON yet?” haha. This is so colorful and delicious looking! A perfect summer vegetarian meal.
Girllll, I’m ALWAYS on a zucchini kick… Best.veggie.ever! This recipe sounds awesomely healthy and yummy!
Hi Sarah! I eat a variation of this dish about once a week, with some extra turkey meatballs, of course. Yet your creation looks ten times more fancy. Yay for zucchini noodles! :)
What a delicious and simple concept! Love it!
Now this just screams summer — love it! I have yet to invest in a spiralizer, but I’m kind of obsessed with the idea of making noodles from different veggies. I have to admit that I haven’t -loved- zucchini in the past, but dishes like this would definitely work wonders in mending our relationship.
Whoa, this looks delicious! You may have just convinced me to buy a spiralizer just so I can make this… and a bottle of white wine ;)
haha I bought my mom a mini food processor for her birthday a year or two ago … and when I was there visiting in June discovered it still in the packaging. I definitely was the first one to use it! lol
This pasta looks so fresh and delicious! I have yet to buy a spiralizer – I keep meaning to get one!
I’m excited to try this. I’m curious though, where does all the sodium(263mg) come from? Is that just from the “salt to taste”?
Hi Janet! I used 1/2 teaspoon sea salt so that is where that’s coming from. You could always use less if you’re worried about it being too much sodium. I hope you enjoy it! :)
Thank you for the quick response Sarah! I’m sure that I will love this recipe. We actually have a spiralizer that we purchased to do just that, make zoodles. Well, 2 years later we haven’t even attempted it. :-/ My husband found this recipe and it has inspired me to get moving on it. Time to dust off the spiralizer. Thank you for your recipe and inspiration!
Wishing you all the best!
I’m so happy I’ve inspired you to open it! It’s an extra step but it’s worth it to get all of that green into your body! :)
I wish you all the best as well, Janet! Thank you!
Gorgeous!! I need to get my hands on some of this!!
I just made this last night and it was FABULOUS!!! Leftovers were great for lunch, too!! Thank you!
Awesome! I’m so happy to hear you liked it, Amy! Thank you for the feedback! :)
This looks delicious. What do you think about adding vegetable broth to this?
I think it would make it too watery because the zucchini naturally produces water. But if you want to use it instead of the oil, I would try using a small splash of veg broth. It might work out okay if it’s just a little. Let me know if you end up trying it!
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This looks so good! I read you wanted to add protein, is there anything you would recommend putting into the pasta? Shrimp maybe? I want to make this!
Hi Tabita! I like to add parmesan and pair it with a side salad with nuts and seeds for protein as I follow a vegetarian diet. But feel free to add whatever kind of protein you prefer. I hope you enjoy it! :)
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Just wanted to take a second and tell you that you’re awesome! I discovered your blog today and I’m so thankful to find healthy, yet tasty and hearty meals to cook for my family. It’s not easy to have a tasty, healthy meal planned for every night but I’m encourage and inspired to keep it going! Thank you!
Have you or anyone else ever tried adding shrimp to it??
Hi Lindsey! I only share vegetarian recipes on my blog so I haven’t tried adding shrimp. Thanks for stopping by!
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Thought this looked so great! Nice and fresh summer meal on a crazy hot day! The only thing I haven’t figured out with zoodles is how to get rid of all the water without pouring flavor down the drain. This was so watery though. I probably cooked a touch too long and that didn’t help either. I think dishes like this are better the less you cook them. Regardless, this was tastey. I added cubed fresh mozzarella instead of the parm and only used 1/4 tsp of kosher salt. Thanks for a great summer recipe!
Sorry to hear they were watery, Kristine! The zucchini noodles can be a little tricky to cook. Hopefully cooking them for less time helps next time!
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OMG this was so yummy and very flavourful. I baked a salmon steak marinated in lemon and dill and added it to everything. Absolutely delicious. Will be making this regularly. Thanks Sarah for this amazing dish.
You’re so welcome, Lisa! Thank you for the comment! :)
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What a gorgeous dish, I love zucchini! Can’t wait to make this, converting to vegetarian!
Thanks Dawn! I hope you enjoy it! :)
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Great Dish Looks Good!!
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This is absolutely delicious! Made it today for the first time!
We tried this and enjoyed it, however cooking it it is extremely watery, like a lot a lot.so for fear of loosing flavor we scooped out everything and made a reduction of the juice then poured it on top of what we took out! It was very flavorful but we really didn’t want the extra cook time or the added steps but hey it worked. We will likely cook it again.
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