Zucchini Noodles with Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce

Short answer: Spiralize 4 medium zucchini, toss them with a little salt and let them drain while you make the sauce. Cook garlic in olive oil, add 2 pounds of chopped ripe tomatoes and simmer for about 12 minutes, until saucy. Pat the zucchini dry, warm it in the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes and finish with fresh basil. It serves 4 in about 30 minutes.

This is the dish to make when tomatoes are ripe and you want something light. The sauce is just tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and basil, cooked quickly so it still tastes fresh. The zucchini noodles barely cook at all, which keeps them from turning soft.

Like every recipe here, this one was developed by Michael Gonzales from standard ratios. The full ingredient list, steps and nutrition estimate are in the recipe card below.

What you need

A spiralizer makes long, even zucchini noodles fast. Handheld ones are cheap and fine for a few zucchini. Countertop models with a crank are quicker if you make zucchini noodles often.

Pick medium zucchini, about 7 to 8 inches long, that feel firm and heavy. Very large ones have more seeds and more water, so their noodles are softer.

How do you keep zucchini noodles from getting soggy?

Zucchini is mostly water, so the trick is getting some of it out before the noodles hit the sauce, then cooking them as little as possible.

• Salt and drain. Toss the noodles with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a colander and let them sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Then press them gently between clean kitchen towels.
• Cook them last. Make the sauce first. The noodles only need a minute or two in the hot pan to warm through.
• Thicken the sauce first. Simmer the tomatoes until the sauce coats a spoon. A thin sauce will turn watery once the zucchini releases more liquid.
• Serve right away. Zucchini noodles keep softening as they sit, so plate them as soon as they're hot.

Should zucchini noodles be cooked or raw?

Either works. Raw zucchini noodles are crisp and mild, a lot like a salad, and they're good with this sauce when it's warm or at room temperature. Briefly cooked ones are softer and closer to pasta. This recipe warms them in the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes, which takes off the raw edge without making them limp. If you like them raw, just spoon the hot sauce over the noodles in the bowl.

Do you peel zucchini before spiralizing?

No. The skin helps the noodles hold their shape and adds color. Wash the zucchini under running water and scrub them gently with a clean produce brush, as FDA advises for firm produce, then trim the ends [2].

How do you make zucchini noodles without a spiralizer?

Use a julienne peeler or a regular vegetable peeler. A julienne peeler makes thin strands like spaghetti. A regular peeler makes wide, flat ribbons, more like pappardelle; stop when you reach the seedy core. You can also slice the zucchini into long, thin planks with a knife and then cut those into matchsticks.

Can you use canned tomatoes?

Yes, and it's the better choice when fresh tomatoes are pale and out of season. Use one 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, and simmer the sauce a few minutes longer, until it thickens. Taste before salting, since many canned tomatoes are already salted.

What goes well with zucchini noodles?

To make it more filling, toss in a can of drained white beans or chickpeas with the tomatoes, or serve it alongside a grain. Our guide to cooking quinoa, rice, lentils and beans covers both. For other vegetable-forward dinners, try our quinoa-stuffed peppers with black beans or red lentil soup with spinach, and find more on our dinner recipes page.

How long do leftovers keep?

The sauce keeps better than the noodles. Store them separately in covered containers in the fridge, get them there within 2 hours, and eat them within 3 to 4 days, the window USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service gives for refrigerated leftovers [3]. Reheat the sauce first, then add the noodles for the last minute.

Nutrition estimate

One serving (a quarter of the recipe) comes out to about 175 calories, 5 g protein, 11 g fat, 17 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 12 g sugar and 470 mg sodium. We worked that out from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient [1]. The sugar is the natural sugar in the tomatoes and zucchini. The sodium figure counts all of the salt, so it's a little high if some drains off with the zucchini liquid.

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, SR Legacy: squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw (FDC ID 169291); tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average (170457); oil, olive, salad or cooking (171413); garlic, raw (169230); spices, pepper, red or cayenne (170932); salt, table (173468); basil, fresh (172232). Accessed October 23, 2026.
2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Selecting and Serving Produce Safely.
3. USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety.

Photo: Fresh sprouts with tomatoes by Mayumi Maciel, via Pexels (Pexels license).