Zucchini Noodles with Sausage + Video
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Make Zucchini Noodles with sausage for a healthy meal that’s jam-packed with Italian flavor! With fresh garden veggies, this zoodle recipe is perfect for a light skillet meal. Don’t let the fact that it’s loaded with nutrients give you the impression that it’s not flavorful. It’s quite the opposite — and will have your taste buds doing a happy dance when you bite into this scrumptious dinner!
Table of Contents
Zucchini Noodles
Fresh spiralized zucchini, Italian sausage, and juicy tomatoes steal the show with this 30-minute meal.
All the yumminess of a hearty pasta dish but packed with loads of veggie goodness. Even Munchkin can’t turn down a bowl of zoodles and sausage!
Recipe Video
Watch the video in this post for tips on spiralizing zucchini, and to see us make this fantastic, scrumptious 30-minute meal!
When your garden is overflowing with tons of zucchini, don’t forget to try my recipes for grilled zucchini and baked zucchini chips. They are both simple and tasty.
I also have a copycat version of Olive Garden’s Zoodles Primavera. It’s loaded with even more veggies and the most scrumptious cheese sauce.
Love skillet meals? This cheesy skillet lasagna and skillet chicken are both to die for!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Zucchini – Choose firm squash with a dark green color for the best zucchini noodles. Size doesn’t really matter, though you’ll obviously get more zoodles out of larger squash.
If the zucchini feels springy or spongy when you (gently) press it, skip it. It’s likely gone bad!
Smart Shopping Tip
If you’re short on time, many stores sell ready-to-use zucchini noodles! Look for them in the produce section.
- Onion – Yellow onions are perfect for sautéing, though sweet onions or shallots would be yummy too.
- Grape Tomatoes – Plump and juicy, these add the perfect bite to the dish. The juices also help create a delicious sauce to coat the other ingredients.
Cherry tomatoes are a good substitute. By the way, I have a really quick kitchen hack for slicing grape and cherry tomatoes in seconds! - Italian Sausage – Look for fully cooked links or cook them yourself first. Then, slice into coins to toss with your zoodles pasta.
Other tasty options include smoked sausage or kielbasa. - Parmesan Cheese – Adds salty, nutty flavor to the dish. Pecorino Romano is the closest swap, but mozzarella, gorgonzola, or even ricotta would be acceptable choices.
Or if you simply don’t like cheese, skip it!
Tips and Tricks to Make Zucchini Pasta with Sausage
- Cook each veggie just until softened.
Because this zoodle recipe builds, the onions and tomatoes especially will continue to cook with the sausage and noodles.
You want to give them enough time to soften on their own but not so much that you end up with a mushy mess by the end.
- Add salt at every step.
This is always important for the most flavorful dish, but salt also helps draw liquid out of ingredients — especially veggies.
You need that liquid to create a sort of pan sauce so your zucchini noodles aren’t dry, but you need to give the salt time to work.
Add a little more each time you introduce an ingredient to the skillet so it can work its magic!
- Toss zoodle with tongs instead of using a spoon.
You’ll be able to coat all of them with the tomato juices much more evenly, and you won’t risk smashing or breaking the zoodles apart.
Sometimes I’ll add even more Parmesan and toss everything again for a creamier dish.
Prep Ahead
- Slice onion, tomatoes, and sausage
- Grate the parmesan
- Make zucchini spirals
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Use a Spiralizer, Box Grater, or Mandolin to make the zucchini noodles.
- Skillet – It’s best to use a wide skillet to ensure the food cooks evenly. Don’t overcrowd the pan or you will end up steaming the veggies.
Serving Suggestions
Pair zoodles and sausage with some crusty bread or air fryer garlic knots to round out the meal.
If you’re trying to avoid carbs, this keto egg loaf or the famous cloud bread might be more your speed. Then, finish the night with some low carb peanut butter cookies for something sweet!
Storing and Reheating Zoodles Pasta
Ideally, zucchini pasta with sausage should be served and eaten right away. You can store leftovers in the fridge overnight in a sealed container.
Reheating causes the zoodles to lose their texture, and they may even become mushy. Because this meal comes together quickly, my best recommendation is to make it fresh each time you want it. The results are much better!
However, you can go ahead and cut fresh zucchini into spirals and save them in the fridge for up to 1 week before you want to cook them. This will save you lots of time!
Zoodle Recipe FAQ
The easiest way is with a spiralizer, but not everyone wants to have yet another gadget lying around. In that case, a box grater or mandolin will get the job done. Even a julienne peeler will work in a pinch!
Use the julienne blade on the mandolin, or grate the zucchini lengthwise using the largest holes on a box grater. You want to create long strips so it’s similar to a long flat pasta
Zucchini has a very high water content, so it will naturally be quite moist when spiralized or shredded.
Let your zoodles rest on a paper tower for a few minutes to soak up any excess moisture, or add them to a strainer and toss with a little salt to draw out extra liquid.
Then, decide how you’ll be cooking it — or not! Unlike regular pasta, all you really need to do is heat your zoodles through.
Sautéing is easiest and only takes a few minutes, which is why it’s my preferred method for making zucchini pasta with sausage.
If you want to boil them, cook for just one minute and drain well. Blot with a paper towel if they still seem too wet.
Salt and pepper enhance the natural flavors of the veggies, so start with that and give it a taste.
If it still seems like something is missing, try spices you would add to regular pasta: garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, or your favorite Italian seasoning.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Zucchini Noodles with Sausage + Video
Equipment
- spiralizer OR
- box grater OR
- large skillet 12 inches or larger is best
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, or olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 4 Italian sausage links, fully cooked and sliced into coins
- 4 medium zucchini, or 3 large
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided, or more, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided, or more, to taste
Instructions
- Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once you can feel the heat from 6 inches above the pan, add oil.
- Meanwhile, cut onion in half, remove the outer layer, and slice into thin strips. Rinse tomatoes and slice in half.
- When oil is hot, toss onion slices in the pan and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Once the onions are beginning to look translucent, add tomatoes and sausage and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon each). Your tomatoes will begin to release their juices, and it will collect in the pan. Once you see the tomato juice, it’s time to add zucchini.
- Meanwhile: Wash zucchini and make zucchini noodles (see post for options on making the noodles).
- Add zucchini noodles to skillet. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Use tongs to toss and coat zucchini. Cook until desired texture is reached. I like mine like al dente pasta, about 3 minutes.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as necessary. Shred Parmesan cheese over the dish. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Donna’s Notes
- For a single portion, cut the recipe by 1/4, cook on medium heat and use a smaller skillet (I like my medium (10″) skillet for this recipe).
- To make this a stress-free recipe, you can prep the ingredients ahead of time. It will take an extra 5 minutes, but if you are a newer cook, it will go much smoother. Some stores even have ready-to-use spiralized zucchini in the produce section.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published March 2016, updated and republished May 2025
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We’re Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
Yes, zucchini noodles are great 🙂 No wonder why you had the food daily for 3 weeks! Mmmmh…
Made this tonight, minus the onions since I don't like them. It was delicious and surprisingly flavorful
I am so happy you enjoyed it! Let me know if you try it again. It is an incredibly versatile recipe. I often change out the sausage and the aromatics. I have used jalapenos and a squeeze of lemon juice too.
Try spiralizing onions for this and other things. I LOVE them and no tears.
Would shredded zucchini like I use for bread be suitable for noodles?
I have had my Veggetti Pro for a year, brand new in the box and last night I broke it out to make this. With my fresh out of the garden tomatoes, this was a great dish! I also added sliced garlic to mine. It's a keeper!
Donna, just found this recipe, and it was wonderful! My zucchini-hating husband asked if I’d make it again, though maybe add a few more sausage coins 🙂 Easy, quick, and delicious – my favorite kind of summer dish! Thanks!
Hi Kris,
Thank you so much, we are happy to hear that your husband loved it. Adding more sausage would definitely make it even more amazing! Enjoy your day.
TSRI team member,
Holli