We Published This Recipe 8 Years Ago, and I Still Make It Every Summer

We’re well past the veggie spiralizing and ricing craze that happened a few years ago, but remnants of those popular trends still remain, as you can still find things like cauliflower rice or spiralized carrots in stores. I appreciate that they offer different ways to get vegetables into my meals, and that I have the choice of breaking out my spiralizer or just buying already-prepped strands of veggies. 

My favorite way to use zoodles (aka zucchini noodles) is in zoodles and meatballs, my veggie-centric take on classic spaghetti and meatballs. Switching out the pasta for zucchini means I can cook everything in less than 30 minutes in one pot, making it a dinner that still has Italian American vibes that I can keep in my back pocket to pull out when I need a quick weeknight dinner win.

Get the recipe: One-Pot 30-Minute Zoodles and Meatballs

This one-pot meal comes together quickly, thanks to starting with a jar of marinara sauce and precooked meatballs. There’s a lot of versatility here, as you can use any brand of sauce and any kind of meatball you like. The meatballs just have to reheat in the sauce, and then you’re ready to add in the zucchini. If you’ve got a bumper crop of garden zucchini, spiralizing them is a perfect way to use them up in dinner; they cook down a lot, so you’ll need to start with over two pounds. Unlike pasta, which requires cooking in a separate pot, the zoodles can go right into the sauce, where they’ll cook in just five quick minutes. You’re left with a one-pot dinner full of protein and veggies that still has some of the satisfaction of slurping up a bowl of spaghetti.

1. Cook garlic and onion. Sauté garlic and onion together in olive oil in a large pot. 
2. Add marinara and meatballs. Stir in a jar of marinara sauce and precooked meatballs, and bring to a simmer. While that’s cooking, spiralize the zucchini.
3. Add the zucchini. Add the zucchini and cook until softened, which will only take about five minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

• You can use any kind of pre-cooked meatball here. Go with turkey, chicken, vegetarian, or even homemade meatballs if you’d like.
• The onion, garlic, and zucchini can all be prepped up to 2 days ahead; just refrigerate the zucchini separately from the garlic and onion.
• If you’ve forgotten to thaw the meatballs, it’s fine to add them into the sauce frozen. Just cover the pot and cook for five minutes before uncovering and continuing with the recipe.
• Use a large pot, as you’re going to be adding a lot of sauce, meatballs, and zucchini to it. You’ll need space to stir things around as the zucchini starts to soften.

Get the recipe: One-Pot 30-Minute Zoodles and Meatballs