We all know that pasta is a big fat no-go on the LC diet. Some people like alternatives such as Shirataki. I tried Shirataki noodles once. I have no idea how people eat that stuff. It’s horrible in my opinion. It’s nothing but a rubbery wanna-be. That’s not how I roll. But this Keto Spaghetti with Zucchini and Sausage Meat Sauce is exactly how I roll!
Spaghetti squash is a great alternative and one I use a lot. The problem is that I prefer the flavor when it’s been roasted and that’s not an option on nights when I need a quick dinner. So for those evenings when I don’t have extra time and the family is asking for spaghetti, I use zoodles for myself!
You probably know this, but (in case you don’t) zoodles are Julienned zucchini. They’re super easy to make and very fast to cook. Zucchini is a lot like eggplant in that it doesn’t have much of its own flavor and absorbs the flavor of other things it’s served with. So it’s a great alternative to pasta. I simply slide the zucchini back and forth across my Mandoline and in under a minute the entire zuc is zoodled!
I typically microwave them for a few minutes. Zucchini has a high water content, so I also put a paper towel in the bowl first (yes under the zoodles) to absorb some of the water. Or just throw the zoodles in a strainer to get rid of that water. Or don’t. Sometimes I don’t. Like yesterday. In this post’s feature photo you can see how the excess water has leaked out around the edges of the zoodles. It’s not a very big deal and doesn’t effect the flavor. It’s just not nice looking.
If you don’t yet have a Mandoline slicer, bite the bullet and spend $20 bucks for one. You can also use this to make long wide strips of zucchini used to make keto lasagna in seconds.
I bought the Yakatto Mandoline slicer and I love it: I used it last night on two zucchinis. I sliced one into strips to make a zucchini lasagna and I turned the other one into zoodles for spaghetti. The recipe below calls for 6 zucchini because it’s based on 6 servings. But I usually don’t make six.
So there you have it. Zoodles have restored our weekly spaghetti dinner tradition!
Here are a few other details about my ingredients and the technique I most frequently use:
Let me start by sharing a dirty little secret: I still make regular pasta for my family who isn’t strict LC/keto like me. With the sauce recipe below, we serve 3 of us and have enough sauce and pasta for left overs. I make 2 servings of left over pasta spaghetti for them and use the rest of the sauce to make zucchini lasagna for me.
Sausage is best in this recipe when it’s over cooked – it creates a very flavorful, almost smokey tasting sauce. My family prefers a lot of meat in our sauce (all low carb’ers should) and I use Jimmy Dean’s Premium Pork Sage Sausage. When browning it, I recommend that you allow it to stick a bit and slightly burn occasionally. Then scrape the charred meat off the bottom. We also like it in large chucks.
To accomplish this, I use a wooden spoon to turn the meat over in large pieces (vs stirring it) and I don’t break it into smaller pieces until it’s almost completely cooked. If your family likes prefers very small pieces (like ground beef meet sauce), then you’ll want to stir the sausage frequently and a bit aggressively. As it browns, it will naturally break apart into tiny pieces. Regardless, over cook it and let it burn a bit.
The tomatoes and paste I use are Muir Glen’s organic no sugar added. To me they are much fresher tasting than other name brands. My grocer stocks them (I feel lucky about that and hope you are too). If you can’t find them locally, the exact ones I purchase are also available through Amazon Pantry. Here are links to the cheapest options I found on Amazon at the time of this post:
Muir Glen Organic Whole Tomatoes – pack of 12 | Muir Glen Organic Tomato Paste – pack of 24.
Zoodle (zucchini) Spaghetti
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 28oz can whole tomatoes
- 1 14oz can tomato paste
- 2 packages ground sausage
- 2 tbsp minced garlic or 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 3 leaves fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
- 2 tbsp paprika powder
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp diced parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
Zoodles
- 6 medium zucchini squash one per person
Instructions
- Remove sausage from its package and place into a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Turn or stir occasionally until fully browned – the browner the better! Complete the remaining steps while the sausage is browning.
- Rinse and pat dry the zucchini, cut off each end.
- Using the Julienne 3mm plate on your Mandoline, drag the zuc back and forth over the blades until all of the zuc has been made into zoodles.
- While still in the Mandoline tray, sprinkle the zoodles with salt, and mix gently to distribute the salt. This will extract some of the excess water. Set aside while you finish the sauce.
- Open both tomato product cans and pour into a blender.
- Add all seasonings to the blender.
- Blend for 1-2 minutes until pureed. Tip: I use the frozen drink option on my blender. This gently chops the whole tomatoes then purees everything while avoiding that odd pocket of air that is sometimes created. If you get the air pocket, stop the blender and stir a bit before blending again.
- When the sausage is fully browned, turn heat to low and add the tomato puree. Stir to mix thoroughly. Cover with a lid and let simmer for a few minutes.
- Zoodles should be a little watery now. Using tongs or a fork, shake excess water from zoodles and place in a microwave safe bowl.
- Place a paper towel over the bowl of zoodles and microwave on High for 5-7 minutes, stirring half way through. Note: If making only one zuc, microwave for 2.5 minutes. When done, the zoodles will be tender yet a bit firm.
- Place cooked zoodles in a colander to drain the remaining water, then return to bowl for serving.
- Serve zoodles immediately topped about 3/4 cup of the sausage sauce per serving.