I'm sure you've tried spiral-ized veggie noodles by now. It's such a craze! Honestly, I'm never going to be able to give up on my love for a cheesy, baked pasta dish! But I also know that its not the best for me. So even though, I don't consider these zucchini noodles with tomatoes and onions to be a direct replacement for that pasta dish, I do think this dish is just delicious and amazing in its own category! It definitely makes for the perfect quick weekday side dish!
First off, I bought these noodles pre-spiralized from the supermarket! I mean, how easy is that?! I didn't have to whip out a bulky contraption to get these noodles!
The only prep that went into this dish was a quick dice of the tomato and onion. Feel free to add or subtract any vegetable you may have lying around for this as well. I saute the tomato and onion in some oil and garlic and just set that aside.
Tricks to cooking Zucchini Noodles with Tomatoes and Onions:
Now on to the noodles!
- The main trick with cooking zucchini noodles is that you don't want to cook them for too long, because they will get soft and soggy quickly. They will also release water as they cook, so I had drain most of that water off because, water = mush!
- I just sauteed the zucchini noodles for a few minutes and gently stirred them so they didn't break apart entirely. You can tell they are cooked because they will be soft to bite into but still hold their shape.
- Once the zucchini noodles are cooked, just combine with the cooked tomato and onion mixture and top with Parmesan cheese!
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Zucchini Noodles with Tomatoes and Onions
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 tomato diced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 lb zucchini noodles - pre-spiralized estimate about 2 zucchini's spiralized if doing at home
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a small pan on medium heat. Once oil has heated up (about 30 seconds), add onions and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add diced tomato to the pan and allow to cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add garlic, balsamic vinegar (if using), salt and pepper to the mixture. Let cook for another minute. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add the zucchini noodles to the same pan. (I did not have to add any additional oil to the pan, at this point.) Let cook, stir every few minutes to distribute the heat. After about 5 minutes on the heat, the noodles should be done.
- Transfer the noodles to the same container as the tomato and onion mixture. Make sure to transfer the noodles only, as the zucchini cooks it may have released water into the pan. You do not want to transfer the water over because it will soften the noodles as it sits.
- Stir to combine the zucchini noodles and tomato-onion mixture, top with Parmesan cheese and serve!
Laura
You’re so right, Jill! This side dish has a bit of a decadent feel with the balsamic vinegar and then Parmesan cheese! It would elevate any meal! Thanks for the recipe!
jill.patel
Thanks Laura! Yes, its very simple but the little additions stand out because of that!