A hearty, rich, and incredibly delicious veggie Bolognese sauce served over spiralized vegan zucchini noodles-your ultimate guilt-free comfort dish! Perfect for when you're craving pasta but keeping an eye on your calorie intake. This will be your new go-to meal!
This recipe was originally published in November 2018. It has been updated for content and photos.
I’m a big fan of using veggies as a pasta substitute. It’s a fantastic way to satisfy your carb cravings without overindulging.
Just like my air fryer spaghetti squash and pesto zoodles, these vegan zucchini noodles are both comforting and satisfying-plus, they’re nutrient-dense and low in calories.
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Why you’ll love this dish
- Low in calories, especially when compared to wheat pasta, this zucchini pasta wins, every time.
- Cooks up in no time! You barely cook these zucchini noodles at all. Just warm them up and they’re ready to eat.
- Zucchini noodles are naturally gluten-free, making them suitable for those with gluten intolerance.
- Utterly and completely delicious!! A must-try!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious vegan bolognese sauce with zoodles.
Instructions
(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Spiralize your zucchini, place them in a colander with a bowl underneath and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
Process the walnuts and sundried tomatoes until crumbly, without overprocessing.
NOTE: Don’t skip salting the zucchini. The salt will remove excess moisture from the zucchini.
Do the same with the mushrooms and cauliflower and add everything except the sauce to a deep pan.
Sauté the veggies and spices and then add the tomato sauce to the skillet.
Simmer your bolognese sauce for 10-15 minutes until thick and the flavours have melded.
Lastly, gently heat your zucchini noodles to warm them up, but do not overcook them.
NOTE: You’re not cooking the zucchini noodles, but warming them up so they’re not cold. Overcooked zucchini will get very soggy and too soft.
Serve your vegan zucchini noodles with a generous amount of bolognese sauce on top. Then garnish with hot peppers, fresh basil and/or vegan parmesan cheese.
Equipment
I highly recommend using a spiralizer to make your vegetable noodles. If you don't have one already, I cannot recommend this tool enough. Especially if healthy eating is your goal. It's a fun way to make delicious and satisfying meals that are low in calories and wholesome.
Although you CAN use a mandolin to make noodles from veggies, it's not only more time-consuming but, you'll need to use extreme caution to prevent cutting your hands. I don't recommend this route.
Storage
Your zucchini noodles can be prepared in advance. Spiralize the noodles for up to 3 days before salting and heating them.
Store leftovers in airtight containers in your fridge but keep the zoodles separate from the sauce to prevent the noodles from getting too soft.
I don’t recommend freezing the noodles, however, if you make extra bolognese sauce, you may freeze that airtight for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips
- Do not overprocess the veggies. The sauce tastes best with texture.
- If you have some stubborn large pieces while processing the veggies, add those to the next batch, rather than continuing to process, so you don’t overprocess the rest.
- Do NOT overcook your zucchini noodles. They taste best with a little bite to them.
- Transfer your zoodles to bowls immediately after warming them. Don’t let them sit too long in the hot pan, or they may get too soft
More low-calorie comfort dishes
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Buon appetito
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 medium zucchini
- 1 cup walnuts or raw pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes
- 4-5 cups cauliflower florets approx. half a medium cauliflower
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms approx. 8-10 small mushrooms
- 32 ounces (4 cups) tomato sauce or tomato puree of choice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- salt + pepper to taste
Optional Garnishes
- vegan parmesan cheese
- chili flakes
- fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
- Spiralize your zucchini using a spiralizer. Place the noodles in a colander that sits in a large bowl and generously sprinkle the zucchini with salt. Toss them with your hands and set aside for 30 minutes or longer. (If working ahead, you may do this step several hours before cooking.)
- Meanwhile, add the walnuts and sundried tomatoes to your food processor and pulse until crumbly but don't overprocess. Keep it chunky. Transfer to a deep skillet.
- Work in small batches and process the cauliflower and mushrooms next. Again, you want to keep the texture crumbly and not overprocessed. Transfer to the same pan as the walnut mixture and add all the seasoning.
- Mix well and sauté for 5-7 minutes until the veggies are softened and reduced. Then pour in the tomato sauce and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Lastly, gently heat the zucchini noodles in a pan for 1-2 minutes. Do NOT cook or they will get too soft. Just warm them up. Then serve with the bolognese sauce.
Notes
- Do not overprocess the veggies. The sauce tastes best with texture.
- If you have some stubborn large pieces while processing the veggies, add those to the next batch, rather than continuing to process, so you don’t overprocess the rest.
- Do NOT overcook your zucchini noodles. They taste best with a little bite to them.
- Transfer your zoodles to bowls immediately after warming them. Don’t let them sit too long in the hot pan, or they may get too soft
- For nut-free, use pumpkin seeds/pepitas or sunflower seeds.
- For oil-free, use sundried tomatoes that come in a vacuum-sealed bag, not jarred.
Nutrition
Common Questions
Do not overcook them! Just gently heat them, for 1-2 minutes and serve immediately. (Or serve them raw.)
For those of you on an oil-free diet, look for sun-dried tomatoes in vacuum-sealed bags, without oil, as opposed to the kind in jars.
Yes! Simply swap the walnuts for raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) instead.
You may decrease the amount of walnuts, or substitute with pumpkin seeds.
Dave Reams says
Like the new photo and logo. I might add that they seldom need to make bale.