If you’re looking for a low-carb, Paleo-friendly dinner that delivers protein, vegetables and flavor, try this zucchini noodles with turkey vegetable marinara.
Zucchini is a versatile vegetable that works on pizza, in pasta, grilled, sautéed, roasted and even fried. It makes great bread, tots and—when run through a spiralizer—light, satisfying noodles. After cutting back on sweets and craving more vegetables, I developed this zucchini noodle turkey vegetable marinara inspired by a friend’s zucchini stew. The result is a bright, flavorful meal that feels light but keeps you full.
If you have a spiralizer, use the small noodle blade to turn zucchini into spaghetti-like strands; if not, thinly slice the zucchini for similar flavor but a different texture. A spiralizer makes it easy to add more vegetables to family meals, and cleanup tends to be simple.
Now, on with the recipe.
Zucchini Noodles with Turkey Vegetable Marinara
Kelly Kirkendoll
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 zucchinis, spiralized
- 2 small carrots, grated
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1-1.25 lbs ground turkey
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- fresh basil
Instructions
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Prepare the vegetables: wash the zucchini and carrots.
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Trim the zucchini ends and spiralize with the small noodle blade to create zucchini noodles.
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Dice the onion, grate the carrots and mince the garlic.
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In a medium-large skillet, sauté the zucchini noodles in 1/2 tablespoon olive oil until they shrink by about half; remove and set aside.
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In the same skillet, add the diced onion, grated carrots and minced garlic with another 1/2 tablespoon olive oil; sauté until the onion is tender.
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Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey in a separate large pan. Season the turkey with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder (reserve fresh basil for serving).
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Combine the sautéed onions, carrots and garlic with the browned turkey in the large pan. Add the can of petite diced tomatoes, stir well and, if desired, a small pinch of sugar to balance acidity. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Add the cooked zucchini noodles to the pan and gently toss to combine and heat through.
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Serve in bowls and top with torn fresh basil or a sprinkle of dried basil. Enjoy!
