ZUCCHINI SPAGHETTI (ZUGHETTI)

Spaghetti is an all-time favorite and a dish many of us eat often, however, it's not very weight loss friendly. Replacing your pasta with zucchini noodles will really help satisfy your cravings for spaghetti, and help you in finding creative ways to enjoy more vegetables in your diet.

Plan: (Standard)

Print Recipe

Serving information: This recipe is 4 servings and covers your protein and vegetable for one meal. It covers your fat if making your own marinara.

Spaghetti is an all-time favorite and a dish many of us eat often, however, it’s not very weight loss friendly. Replacing your pasta with zucchini noodles will really help satisfy your cravings for spaghetti, and help you in finding creative ways to enjoy more vegetables in your diet. To make this recipe even easier, substitute a jar of marinara sauce without “added” sugar (keep in mind tomatoes will show natural sugars on the nutritional label), artificial sweeteners or preservatives. This recipe was adapted from the I Breathe I’m Hungry website.

INGREDIENTS

Meat Sauce
- 1 lb. grass-fed ground beef
- 1 small onion
- 1 24-oz jar spaghetti sauce (without any added sugar or artificial sweeteners)
OR
- 28 oz. can Peeled San Marzano (or whole peeled plum tomatoes), drained
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp Himalayan sea salt (or to your liking)
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
  - (Simply puree the tomatoes in a small blender or bullet. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust salt, if needed.)
Zoodles
- 5 medium-sized organic zucchinis
- 1 Tbsp. organic coconut or avocado oil
- 2 tsp. minced garlic, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

Brown ground beef and onion is a stainless-steel pan. (You don’t need to drain the beef if using grass-fed burger, but do drain if using conventional beef.) Add marinara or jarred spaghetti sauce, bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
To make the zoodles, cut off the stem and bottom of the zucchini. Julienne the zucchini using a julienne peeler (found in most kitchen sections of local stores) or a spiralizer. I find the hand-held spiralizers to be difficult, so I use a stationary one on the counter. (If spiralizing the zoodles, you may want to cut the ribbons to the size you like, as they can be quite long.)
Add oil to a large stainless-steel pan on medium-high heat. Sauté the zoodles for 2-5 minutes (depending on your al dente preference). Drain the excess liquid very well or the sauce will be runny. Top with marinara and enjoy!