Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai Recipe Easy THAI Zoodles | White On Rice (2024)

Our Zucchini noodle pad thai recipe is light, low carb and satisfying when you’re craving regular pad thai. These zoodles have much less carbs than regular flour noodles but they’re still high on flavor! You won’t feel like you’re missing out on anything.
Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai Recipe Easy THAI Zoodles | White On Rice (1)

Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai Recipe Easy THAI Zoodles | White On Rice (2)

Easy Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai Recipe

The sound of zucchini pasta didn’t exactly entice our appetites. We’ve heard of zoodles, or zucchini noodles but had never tasted them. Zucchini pasta recipes? Ok….how….interesting. Yes, we judged the humble zucchini. The thought of making zucchini noodles didn’t exactly have us running to the kitchen to whip up a batch. Maybe we thought zucchini pasta would be tasteless and we’d rather eat the real stuff and run 5 miles to burn it off. Well, we’re here to humbly apologize to the zucchini noodles because we were totally wrong. So, so sorry zucchini, we should have believed in you more.

Our minds were blown when we were inAshevillefor Food Blog Forum a few weeks ago and for dinner atCorner Kitchenwe had our very first plate of zucchini pasta. Our minds were blown.We’re here to apologize again for waiting so long to explore the amazing world of zucchini noodles.And finally, we here to tell you that we’re now totally and whole-heartedly addicted to zucchini noodles. What a complete 180 turn-around, right?That zoodle or zucchini pasta meal was so incredibly delicious, that we didn’t even miss the pasta. We inhaled our zucchini noodles and couldn’t believe how satisfying it was and how healthy it was. Two things that can’t go wrong in a dish: delicious AND healthy.

Video: Zoodle Pad Thai Recipe

Tips on How to Make Zucchini Noodles or Zoodles

  • Choose a straight looking zucchini or summer squash for spiraling. If you’re using a vegetable spiralizer, you’ll get longer strands if the zucchini is straight. If they’re curved, the strands don’t spiralize as long and you’ll end up getting much shorter strands if the zucchini is curvy.
  • Meal prep: You can spiralize the zucchini ahead of time.
  • Make ahead: The sauce can be made ahead of time too.
  • All recipe details are in the recipe box below.

We felt full and satisfied, the same way we feel when we eat noodles or pasta. Except without the normally resulting food-coma. But best of all, it was totally healthier, lower calorie and gluten-free. What an amazing option to serve when we have gluten-free friends over! Again, we’re zucchini noodle addicts and this zucchini noodle pad thai recipe is super satisfying when we’re craving healthy Thai food.

As soon as we returned from Asheville, we went into the kitchen to research, explore, experiment and taste test our recipe for zucchini noodle pad thai. Here’s what we were able to play with in the kitchen, along with one of the first recipes we made: “Zoodles” Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai!

Best Vegetable Spiralizers for Spiralizing & Entertaining:

Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai Recipe Easy THAI Zoodles | White On Rice (3)

Paderno Spiralizer
The Classic! We’ve lost track of how many meals this one has made for us. Fantastic spiralizer.

Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai Recipe Easy THAI Zoodles | White On Rice (4)

KitchenAid Spiralizer Attachment
Spiralize, peel, core, slice. All from the power of the KitchenAid stand mixer.

Here’s what we made on our zucchini noodle play day:

We used this awesome Paderno vegetable spiral slicerto make the curly zucchini noodles or pasta. It’s great for making bigger batches of zucchini noodlesZucchini Noodle Pad Thai Recipe Easy THAI Zoodles | White On Rice (6)

this spiral vegetable slicer, cuts up the zucchini super quick

Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai Recipe Easy THAI Zoodles | White On Rice (7)

Our OXO vegetable peeler was equally awesome at making the noodles, without the curly look. A Mandolin works great as well, but be safe. We used oursafety gloves. Although a mandolin doesn’t have the curls either, the zucchini cooksup great.

Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai Recipe Easy THAI Zoodles | White On Rice (8)

Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai Recipe Easy THAI Zoodles | White On Rice (9)

With 20 pounds of zucchini noodles in the kitchen, we cooked up the healthiest pad thai ever. We didn’t miss the regular noodles at all and the zucchini was fantastic

Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai Recipe Easy THAI Zoodles | White On Rice (10)

Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai Recipe Easy THAI Zoodles | White On Rice (11)

Can you tell? We’re obsessed.

Enjoy,

diane and todd

Love Chow Mein noodles, but without the calories? Try our popular and Healthy Zucchini Noodle Chow Mein Recipe Here.

Turkey marinara with zucchini noodles hits the spot.Here’s the recipe.

Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai Recipe Easy THAI Zoodles | White On Rice (14)

Zucchini Pad Thai Noodles "Zoodles"

Yield: 2 Servings

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

The best part about this Zucchini Pad Thai is that you can add what ever protein you want. We like to have our zucchini noodles a little on the crunchy side, so we like to cook the zucchini first, then let the water drain from the noodles before serving. The water that's reserved from the noodles won't water down any sauce or flavor in the zoodle recipe.

4.91 from 21 votes

PRINT RECIPE Review Pin It

Ingredients

for the zucchini noodle pad thai:

  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil (30ml) , divided
  • 1/2 pound peeled and de-veined shrimp (225g) or what ever protein you prefer
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced or crushed
  • 1/2 red bell pepper , seeded and sliced thin
  • 3 green onions , sliced
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups bean sprouts (480ml) , about
  • 1/3 cup roasted peanuts (80ml)
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
  • Few lime wedges for serving (optional)

for the sauce:

  • 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar (30ml)
  • 2 Tablespoons fish sauce (30ml), or to taste
  • 3 Tablespoons ketchup (45ml)
  • 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar (5ml)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1 small red chili , sliced
  • 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce , or to taste

Instructions

  • Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients (vinegar, fish sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, chili garlic sauce), then set aside.

  • Cut the zucchini into noodles or long pasta by using a vegetable spiralizer tool or tools mentioned in our post write up.

  • Heat a large pan on medium high heat. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil (reserve the other half for later). Then add zucchini noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the zucchini noodles are tender. Don't overcook the noodles. The zucchini noodles should be slightly crunchy with a tender bite.

  • Let the noodles rest for about 3 minutes to allow as much moisture as possible to release.Remove the noodles from the pan and drain the excess water.

  • Carefully wipe the same pan to remove the excess water, and then re-heat the pan on medium high heat. Add the remaining olive oil and garlic. Cook the garlic until soft and translucent, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook until shrimp is tender andcooked through, about 3 minutes.

  • Add the bell peppers and green onions. Cook for about 1-2 minutes or until tender. Add the egg and stir in with the vegetable until the egg is cooked.

  • Add the zucchini noodles back into the same pan, then add the sauce. Cook for about 1 more minutes or until the zucchini noodles are heated through. Then stir in the bean sprouts.

    Serve the warm zucchini pad thai noodles with roasted peanuts, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Video

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 545kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 379mg, Sodium: 2791mg, Potassium: 1234mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 1888IU, Vitamin C: 98mg, Calcium: 276mg, Iron: 6mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Asian, Stove Top

Calories: 545

More Easy Recipes:

  • Chocolate appetizers
  • Frosted cauliflower
  • Braised pork chops in hard lemonade
  • peardorf salad
  • Our Zucchini noodle pad thai recipe was originally published in 2014 and re-published in 2018 with updated video.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Zucchini Noodle Pad Thai Recipe Easy THAI Zoodles | White On Rice (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook zoodles so they're not soggy? ›

You don't boil them that would make them soggy. To co*k zucchini noodles you toss them in a frying pan, with a little butter, oil or cooking spray, just long enough to heat. Add your sauce and it's done.

What's the difference between zucchini noodles and zoodles? ›

The biggest difference most people notice when they eat zucchini noodles is the texture. The texture of zoodles can vary based on how long they are cooked and how they are made. Lightly cooked zoodles will be crunchier than pasta and well-done zoodles will be softer.

Should you salt zucchini noodles before cooking? ›

Don't pre-salt your zucchini noodles.

First of all, one of the benefits of spiralizing is that it's SO quick (just spiralize, cook, and enjoy pasta in under 5 minutes!).

How long does it take to cook pad thai noodles? ›

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. 1 BRING large pot of water to boil. Add rice noodles; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until noodles are tender but firm. ...
  2. 2 HEAT oil in large skillet or wok on medium-high heat. Add garlic; stir fry 30 seconds or until fragrant. ...
  3. 3 STIR in rice noodles and tamarind mixture; stir fry 1 minute or until heated through.

How do you make zucchini not rubbery? ›

If you don't wish to cook the peel and the flesh separately, then you could use a two step cooking method, like first baking them with the cut-side facing up, then once you've achieved the desired flesh texture, flipping them over and quickly broiling them.

Why is my zucchini so slimy when I cook it? ›

This, the outlet asserts, is due to zucchini's high water content: If it cooks too slowly, it will release its moisture before it sears, becoming soggy and sodden. Over high heat, on the other hand, zucchini becomes caramelized on the outside but retains a meaty, firm texture within.

Which is healthier pasta noodles or zoodles? ›

Compare two cups of pasta weighing in at 480 calories, 90 grams of carbs, and two grams of fiber with two cups of zucchini zoodles at 66 calories, twelve grams of carbs, and four grams of fiber. Seems like a no-brainer, right? It is if you're using the right ingredients and the right sauce.

Are zoodles healthier than pasta? ›

Zucchini is low in fat, sugar, and calories, and high in vitamin C and fiber, making it a great substitute for traditional pasta noodles. Fiber helps to regulate bowels and maintain good digestive health, and vitamin C acts as an antioxidant to protect cells.

Are zoodles unhealthy? ›

Although like any vegetable, cooking zucchini noodles does strip the squash of some of its nutrients, they still make a great low-carb, low-calorie food that tastes great any way you serve it. I do recommend salting and draining your zucchini noodles on a paper towel or over a colander before cooking them.

Why do you soak zucchini in salt water? ›

Salt causes zucchini rounds to release excess water. This important extra step helps the zucchini to sauté rather than stew in its own juices.

How far in advance can I Spiralize zucchini? ›

After you've spiralized several zucchini, line a large plastic or glass storage container with a paper towel, add your noodles and place in the refrigerator. They'll stay fresh for 2-3 days.

How do you know when pad thai noodles are done? ›

How Do You Know When Rice Noodles Are Done? Once the noodles have soaked for 10-15 minutes, they should be soft and pliable. To test, simply take a strand of noodle and bite it — it should be tender but still have some chewiness to it — sort of like al dente Italian pasta.

Why is my pad thai soggy? ›

Overcooked noodles are too soft...too soft noodles break into bits. This is why I stress so much that you should only cook pad thai in batches of 2 servings, and the most delicate fresh noodles should be cooked ONE portion at a time. There is a reason why street vendors cook them one order at a time!

Do you have to soak pad thai noodles before cooking? ›

Flat Rice Noodles (Pad Thai Noodles)

Soak for 10 minutes. If the noodles are longer than the bowl, slowly bend them as they soften in the water so that they are eventually all submerged under the water. Strain the noodles and run your fingers through them to prevent sticking.

How do you firm up zoodles? ›

Tips For Avoiding Watery, Soggy Zoodles
  1. Squeeze them out before cooking – ring them out in some paper towels or a lightweight dish towel.
  2. Don't overcook them – stick to the cook times and methods above.
  3. Add them into soups and sauces at the very end – they'll get cooked just being in the warm soup or sauce.
Jun 9, 2022

How do you firm up zucchini? ›

Arrange the zucchini pieces into a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It will stick to the pan if you don't line it first!) Freeze the zucchini for about 1 hour, until it's firm to the touch, then transfer it to an airtight container to preserve the flavor as you store it.

How do you rescue soggy noodles? ›

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add your overcooked pasta. Gently sauté over medium heat for a few minutes until the pasta's texture has firmed up. The whole process takes less than 10 minutes and you'll know it is done when the edges of the pasta have started to crisp and light browning has begun.

How long to salt zucchini to remove moisture? ›

If you do not have kosher salt on hand, use a teaspoon or so of regular table salt. 1. Place zucchini slices in colander and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt. Set colander over bowl until about 1/3 cup water drains from zucchini, about 30 minutes.

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