Easy Zoodle Bake

April 15, 2015

Easy Zoodle Bake




Sometimes a guy needs a pasta bake, just like mom used to make (no rhyme intended!)
A creamy, cheesy, hearty pasta bake full of flavor and deliciousness.

Easy Zoodle Bake


But what if the guy in question isn’t very fond of carbs?
Yeah, what if pasta isn’t what he really wants?

Easy Zoodle Bake




No worries people, I’ve got the solution.
Take a solid recipe and sub zoodles for the pasta. Easy peasy.

Easy Zoodle Bake




This begs a question though: can this be considered a pasta bake?
Honestly, I don’t know.
It’s baked, so we’ve got that part covered. But what about the pasta? Can spiralized raw zucchini sub pasta?
The zucchini are sliced to look and act like spaghetti/linguini, but besides their shape they are not spaghetti/linguini. I repeat, THEY ARE NOT wheat spaghetti/linguini.

Easy Zoodle Bake




To be completely honest, this is more a vegetable bake than a pasta bake.
However (and I’m not using this however lightly) it’s nothing short of delicious and it totally tastes like a pasta bake BUT sans pasta.
How can that be? I dunno people, I dunno.
It’s the spiralizer magic or maybe I tricked myself (and my tastebuds) into believing that.
Whatever that may be, this zoodle bake is plate lickin’ good and I can bet 100 bucks you (and your whole family) will love it just as much as I do.

Easy Zoodle Bake




A creamy, cheesy, hearty casserole that sports a solid 5 stars for deliciousness as well as smarts.
Naturally gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, and completely vegetarian. Seriously guys, this pasta bake is no joke.
Now go make some.

Easy Zoodle Bake


Easy Zoodle Bake                                                                                                          Print this recipe!
Inspired by HalfBakedHarvest

Ingredients
Serves 6
 
4 large zucchini
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
¼ cup black olives, halved (I used kalamata)
⅓ cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
12 oz / 340 gr shredded mozzarella cheese
3 red bell pepper, sliced
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°) and place a rack in the middle.
Using a spiralizer or peeler create zucchini spaghetti (always read the directions for your spiral slicer as they vary by brand - I use this spiralizer.) If you don't have a spiralizer use a regular vegetable peeler to vertically peel long, thin strips of the zucchini. This will form more of a wider "noodle" from the zucchini, like fettuccini.
In a large colander, toss zoodles with 2 teaspoons of salt and set aside for at least 10 minutes.
Pick up small handfuls of zoodles and squeeze out some of the liquid (alternatively you can wrap zucchini in clean dish towel or a piece of cheesecloth and wringing away, but using your hands yields best results).
Add olive oil, dried basil, dried parsley, dried oregano, red pepper flakes (if using), and ground black pepper to a 3-quart baking dish.
Add zoodles, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. Toss well until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Drizzle with a little of the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomato jar.
Add ¾ of the shredded mozzarella cheese and then scatter the sliced red peppers on top.
Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and the grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Bake in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until the top is browned and the peppers have softened.
Remove from the oven, let sit 5 minutes, and serve!

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 350 calories, 25 grams of fat, 14 grams of carbs, and 21 grams of protein.

44 comments:

  1. Oh good gawsh - I think Hell must have frozen over cause there's actually a food item we both are not too fond off!!!
    Love this veggie bake with all those herbs! Now if only you and David combined y'alls recipes there could be a Supreme zoodle bake!

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    1. What are you talking about Shash? There are hundreds, thousands, millions food items we both love.
      We only clash on beets! ;)

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  2. Absolutely awesome, Mike this looks like the perfect weeknight dinner! Great job as always.

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  3. Vegetable bake or a pasta bake, this is ridiculously yum and I will take the whole casserole. This is perfect.

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    1. I don't mean to brag but it really is perfect and tasty, soooo tasty!

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  4. How many servings?? I'm thinking 4, but I could eat the whole thing :-)

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    1. 4, but - just like you - I can inhale the whole thing!

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  5. Holy yum! Would never have thought to bake noodles! Will definitely be trying out this one :D

    www.cultivatebeauty.com.au

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    1. It's actually pretty awesome Amy, you should totally try it!

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  6. I am of course totally on board with you on this one! Having enjoyed a zucchisagna with zucchini slices and being absolutely blown away by it, I cannot wait to use my spiralizer for this one!

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  7. Love me some zoodles but have never used them in a bake! Definitely doing this!

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  8. I could convince myself that since this is healthy I could reasonably eat the entire thing, hmmm...OK I won't do that...will I? Can't wait to make this Mike :)

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    1. I think you should eat the whole thing, you deserve it!

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  9. SIGN ME UPPPPPP, minus the cheese though please! ;)

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  10. Mike, this looks delicious- You and David have me craving cheese, pasta and well...baking today! I see sundried tomatoes, and I love those buggers almost as much as my sister.

    Okay, more than my sister.

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    1. Sun-dried tomatoes are one of my fave things ever!

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  11. Yum!! I made zoodles last night but it wasn't this tasty hehe. Hope you're having a great week so far, Mike!

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  12. I am a HUGE spiralizer/zoodles fan...and this recipe sounds so delicious! I will be making it this weekend. THANKS!

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    1. I did make it...finally...and loved it! The squeezing-out-the-zoodles part is a pain in the butt...but well worth it. Thanks!

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  13. $100 bucks? Wow, that's really putting your money where your mouth is, Mike. Literally. This pasta bake (minus the pasta) looks amazing, and I'm digging all of the red bell peppers in there. I'm pretty sure I can taste how delicious this pasta bake is. And I'm pretty sure I need the leftovers. Could you bring them up my way today? Thanks. #WolfpackPastaClub

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    1. Is $100 a lame wager? Please tell me, I need to know!

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  14. Yum yum! I'm not the biggest fan of zoodles, but I bet spaghetti squash would be a great sub!...aaaaand you don't like carbs?? How do you get through a triathalon? (Just busting your b's.) :-)

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    1. How come you don't like zoodles? They're soooo awesome ;)

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  15. I'm always craving something cheesy and baked, and I can't wait to try this! I'm personally a fan of carbs (good quality ones anyways) but zoodles are good enough to forgo carbs on a regular basis!

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  16. Sounds totally delicious. Everything with pasta is just great, Thanks for sharing.

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  17. Any problems with excess moisture? I tend to have a lot of liquid at the bottom of my bowls when I make anything with zoodles.

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    1. He mentioned it. Squeeze the excess water out with your hands then use paper towel to get off any excess moisture.

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  18. This does look & sound delicious. I am fairly new to paleo, still learning & experimenting. I thought cheese was non-paleo. Is there a certain amount or combination or something that makes it paleo friendly to use parmesan &/or mozzarella?

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  19. This looks delicious, but how does it hold up in the refrigerator? Does this dish serve well as left-overs?

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  20. what Gram weight constitutes a serving for these calories?

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  21. I enjoy zoodles about once a week, but am pretty stuck on marinara sauce and chicken meatballs. We are planting zuchinni plants this weekend and know we will be eating lot of it this summer. This looks like a great recipe to spice up our usual rotation. Thank you!

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  22. I just made this recipe last night. We're vegan and so I used Daiya pepper jack cheese and Gardein scallopini but everything else was as written. My husband said it was his all time favorite meal which is saying a lot as he loves my cooking. Thanks for a great recipe.

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  23. I made this for dinner tonight and I cannot believe how good it was!!! It tasted kind of like veggie pizza without the crust. This recipe is AWESOME!!!

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  24. Hi, do you cover in the oven?

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  25. Do you think I can replace the sun dried tomatoes with actual tomatoes, or will that change the taste a lot? I am not a huge fan of SDT.

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  26. Wow, I’m definitely pinning this for later, it looks tasty, healthy and really warm for winter! Thanks.

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