Zucchini Noodle Alfredo is the healthy answer to cravings for a decadent pasta dish. It's creamy, cheesy, low-carb and best of all...it takes just minutes to prepare!
I have just one more zucchini recipe before summer's end!
Consider it an addendum to 25 Unique Uses for Zucchini which includes Zucchini Chips in the Microwave and Zucchini Fritters with Feta. This one is just too good not to share right away.
It's an easy alfredo recipe with just 5 ingredients. If you don't count the olive oil, then there are only 4! (I'm not exactly sure what the rules are for making this type of declaration, so I erred on the side of over-reporting!)
No matter how you count it...
Zucchini Noodle Alfredo is a one-pan wonder!
The key to the trickery is the noodles..or zoodles, which can be spiralized ahead time and use in this recipe or Shrimp Zoodles or Crustless Zucchini Pie!
No...zucchini doesn't taste just like pasta. I'm not going to make anyone hold their nose and say it is so. But, my taste buds are sure fooled by the long strands which look like noodles and are coated with a cheesy, creamy sauce.
I feel like I'm eating a type of pasta and I don't have to try very hard. 🙂
Use a spiralizer to make the "noodles." They come in all price ranges and it's worth every penny to easily make vegetable noodles like these or for Cucumber Onion Salad. Check out our recommendations below.
But, ribbons made with a vegetable peeler are another option.
And then there is the sauce...sigh! It's a rich mixture of cream cheese, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a touch of sour cream. A little goes a long way so pay attention to the ratio of noodles to sauce.
Of course, this alfredo sauce can be tossed with regular pasta noodles and used in many other applications (I'm thinking over veggies or topping a baked potato.)
But...if you are a zucchini lover, I highly recommend that you give this recipe a try!
If zucchini isn't in season, be sure to check out this Spaghetti Squash Alfredo Recipe. It's delish too!
Please rate this recipe below and tag @DinnerMom on social media. We love to see what you are cooking up!
📋 Recipe
Easy Zucchini Noodle Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 pound zucchini
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 Tablespoons cream cheese 1 ounce room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon low-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Use a spiralizer or vegetable peeler to made zucchini noodles.(I have Vegetti and Paderno spiralizers. See links below.)
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add zucchini noodles to pan and saute for about 5 minutes.
- Remove noodles to serving dish.
- Add cream cheese, sour cream and Parmesan cheese to pan and stir to combine.
- Pour sauce over noodles and toss to combine.
- Top with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Christie
I am in love with my spiralizer. It is so fun. Love this recipe and that you did not use heavy cream. It will be delicious without all that saturated fat.
Platter Talk
This is a terrific recipe using one of our favorite stables of summer produce; nicely done!
claire @ the realistic nutritionist
I'm madly in love with this!!
Lauren Kelly Nutrition
I love zoodles and I love that you made alfredo! YUM!
christine
I really need to get a spiralizer. I have been making zucchini ribbons w/ my peeler but these look waaaaaaay prettier. Great easy recipe. Love it.
Carla
I eat pasta ALL the time, so these zucchini noodles would be a great alternative for me!
Lauren @ Healthy Delicious
I love mixing zucchini noodles in with regular ones. That way you still get the real pasta taste, but you wind up eating way less of it.
Marjory
That's such a great trick Lauren!!!
Tara
I really have to try this as our zucchini is just coming up now and we will have lots of it. It really looks fantastic!! Thanks for sharing!!
Marjory
Thanks Tara. Even though it's not in season, I eat year round. 🙂
Ray
I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this. I couldn’t get enough of it. I added mushrooms, scallion and basil and it was yummy. Didn’t miss the pasta at all. Quick and simple last minute dinner or perfect for serving dinner to guests Always happy to have a delicious new vegetarian recipe. Thanks
Holli
My husband is a little leery of zucchini...has anyone tried this with yellow squash instead??
Marjory
We haven't...although I have successfully mixed it with regular pasta. Love to know if you try it!
April Kelley
Yes! It is delicious!!! I use a mix of both actually!
rita jenkins
Wow! This is fantastic! I added chopped fresh garlic and a generous skake of crushed red pepper! My new favorite!
Marjory
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing them.
Shannon
How many servings is this recipe?
Marjory
Hi! It serves 4 which is about 1/4 pound of zucchini per person. If you really like zucchini and want to make a meal of it, it serves 2. 🙂
Kelley @ Chef Savvy
I love simple easy dishes especially when they only have 5 ingredients!! Love this thanks for sharing.
Emily
Do you have a general idea how much before the cooking time I can cut the zucchini? I like to do a lot of my prep ahead of time and it would be helpful to know that if I slice it 30 minutes before I am actually ready to cook it whether it would be a bad thing or not an issue.
Thanks!!
Marjory
Hi there! Great question. You can definitely spiralize zucchini ahead of time and store in the refrigerator in an air tight container. They should last several days. You will find that they sweat a bit. Just blot the wetness away with a paper towel and they will cook just fine!
Amy
I have kept spiralized raw zucchini in a ziplock bag with a couple paper towels in the refrigerator for several days, and just pull out what I want to cook at one time.
Marjory
Great tip! Thanks for sharing!
Christy
Do you have the nutritional info?
Marjory
Hi! I don't have official nutritional software...but, I plugged the ingredients into My Fitness Pal. I estimate the entire dish is 390 calories...so if this is divided into 4 servings, then each serving is about 98 calories. This estimate uses full fat ingredients too.
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
I've never tried these zucchini noodles. Sounds healthy!
nikkib
If i wanted to take leftovers and reheat for lunch would this reheat well in the microwave?
Marjory
It should be fine!
Rita
Just perfect! I love simple and easy recipes and this is delicious as well. Thanks
Marjory
Thank you so much! 🙂
Bobbi
if there are 4 servings....how much is one serving?
Marjory
Hi! With 1 pound of zucchini, each serving is about 1/2 cup.
Maureen
What a lovely zucchini noodle alfredo! I actually love the color. It screams tasty and healthy for me. It's so good and really delicious!
Annie
This looks so good!!! Alfredo is one of my faves, but the pasta does not really like me as a diabetic! I shared this in a Recipe Roundup on my blog, Plus Size to Downsized!!! Thanks so much for the great ideas!
Marjory
Thanks so much for sharing! Can't wait to check out all the recipes!
Nicole
I loved this recipe but I had to add garlic and a little bit of milk because the sauce was way too thick. Other than that, amazing!
Marjory
Thanks so much for your tips! 🙂
Claire
This came up on a low-carb Buzzfeed list. I've just tried it - it's amazing. I used garlic olive oil for extra flavour and added a good few grinds of black pepper. This is going straight into my regular meal list.
Marjory
I'm so glad you like it! Love your additions.
Ashley
Curious on carb count for this recipe? Thanks! 🙂
Laura
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! So easy and tasty. Thank you for posting the recipe.
Marjory
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Debbie
Will try this tonight! I'm in love with my new spiralizer! Not a fan of the taste or texture of pasta (thank goodness). Much prefer the taste and texture of zoodles! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Marjory
I hope you enjoy it!
LuLu
I just made this and it's amazingly yummy! This will make following my diabetic diet much easier. I added garlic and red pepper as someone else suggested.
WOW!
Marjory
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Maggie
I have enjoyed your zucchini brownies and now this zucchini Alfredo, all the taste without the carbs. This is scrumptious. A great source of veggies. Plus quick and easy. Yum.
Kashmira Karnik
Delicious!
Luisa
This was absolutely awesome. Thank you so much for sharing!
Marjory
I'm so glad you liked it!
Marie
We tried this with half zucchini and half Chinese eggplant. The purple and green “noodles” are so pretty and it tastes great.
Marjory
That's such a great tip and will definitely be trying the Chinese eggplant! Yum!
Bronx Lens
Nobody bothers to say if the Z. is supposed to be peeled or not. Readers?
Marjory
Hi! You do not need to peel the zucchini first. I don't. However, I do pick out some of the spirals that are just skin that come off initially. That being said, it is really personal preference. If you don't want any skin, peel the zucchini first. 🙂
Brendan chennells
When you say sauce what do you mean? Was there a different sauce to add to it? Lol
Marjory
Hi! The sauce is the sour cream, cream cheese and Parmesan cheese once it has been heated and combined. 🙂
Olga
Marjory, bravo! What a great idea! Love this. I’m sure this is incredibly delicious!
Lindsye
This was yummy! I added garlic, red pepper flakes and milk (because it seemed too thick.) I used low fat sour cream and low fat cream cheese. I will definitely make this again!
Marjory Pilley
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
April Kelley
I would love to try adding andouille sausage and/or shrimp to this!
Mary
Mary-Northern MN
10-10-19
Made this tonight, so easy to put together. I added a little shredded butternut squash for a little color.
Very de-lish
Marjory Pilley
I'm so glad you liked it...awesome fall addition too!
Maggie
We are having this Again this week! Just purchased more zucchini. I am actually craving this.
Marjory Pilley
I'm so glad you enjoy it...now I'm craving it too! 🙂
Julie
Hi! I just made this tonight! It was soooo good! I decided to make it into a meal and a added sautéed mushrooms and shrimp! Highly recommend! Thanks for the great and easy recipe!! 😊
Marjory Pilley
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!! Mushrooms and shrimp sound devine!
Deborah
Excellent! I'm starting on NOOM and this was a particularly great recipe for dinner one night.
And just want to add - LOVE that you can recalculate recipes for the number of servings / people I'm making it for! Thank you for that!
Marjory Pilley
I'm so happy you enjoyed it and find the recipe card adjustments helpful! Also, you can use the sauce ratios with any spiralized veggies too!
CARMEN
Excellent, easy and delicous!
Anne Carruthers
This was delicious and healthy. I like alfredo but it's so fattening and this is much lighter. Thanks for a great recipe!
Marjory Pilley
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Vonnie
Taste was wonderful but thinking i did something wrong. I took the zucchini out of pan and tried to make sauce It never melted so I had to add chicken broth.