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By Emily Leary. Published Sep 11, 2019 Modified Mar 7, 2020. 1233 words. About 7 minutes to read this article. Green ad links may earn me a small fee at no extra cost to you.

Annabel Karmel's courgette spaghetti (the best I've tried!)

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This courgette spaghetti (that’s “zucchini” spaghetti or “zoodles”, for my US friends!) from Annabel Karmel is deliciously flavourful and you won't feel like you're missing out on standard, carb-based pasta at all.

Annabel Karmel's courgette spaghetti, served into a bowl with a fork and spoon and a glass of water.

It's from Annabel's cookbook, Busy Mum's Cookbook, which is full of great family-friend recipes.

Annabel Karmel's cookbook, Busy Mum's Cookbook

Annabel Karmel's courgette spaghetti is a brilliant alternative to traditional spaghetti, full of vegetables and with a wonderfully smooth taste.

The courgette is lightly pan-fried which means it retains a little crunch - perfect when contrasted to the succulent tomatoes that burst in your mouth with flavour.

It makes for a delicious and low carb meal with a unique texture that I'm sure you'll enjoy.

I had great fun helping Annabel make this recipe, and although I've made courgetti with a spiraliser before, this is the tastiest dish recipe I've tried.

Here's how to make this courgette spaghetti.

Ingredients

  • 4 large courgettes
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2-3 garlic cloves crushed
  • 250 g (8.8 oz) cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 tbsp fresh green pesto
  • 50 g (1.8 oz) Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese alternative grated
  • pinch salt and black pepper

Equipment

  • Spiraliser
  • Weighing scales
  • Measuring spoons
  • Frying pan
  • Wooden spoon
  • Kitchen paper
  • Chopping board
  • Kitchen knife

Instructions

Put the courgettes through a spiraliser to make long spaghetti-like strands.

Spiralised courgette coming out of a spiraliser, surrounded by tomatoes, pesto, garlic and Parmesan

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic.

Olive oil warming in a frying pan

Fry for a few seconds.

Briefly cooked garlic and olive oil in a frying pan

Add the spiralised courgettes to the pan.

Toss over a high heat for 2-3 minutes, until just softening, then remove and set aside on kitchen paper.

Cooked spiralised courgette in a frying pan
Cooked spiralised courgette in a frying pan, cooked
Cooked spiralised courgette on a plate lined with kitchen towel

Return the frying pan to the heat, add the remaining olive oil.

Olive oil in a frying pan

Fry the tomatoes for 2 minutes.

Cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, black pepper and spiralised courgette in a frying pan
Cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, black pepper and spiralised courgette in a frying pan - the tomatoes have been briefly cooked

Season, add the spiralised courgettes, pesto and grated Parmesan. Note from Emily: I find that I don’t always need all of the parmesan and pesto, so I would recommend adding half, stirring through and then adding the rest if needed.

Cherry tomatoes, pesto, grated parmesan, garlic, olive oil, black pepper and spiralised courgette in a frying pan

Toss until heated through and serve immediately.

Annabel Karmel's courgette spaghetti, served into a bowl with a fork and a glass of water. Close up

Now hop over to watch my interview with Annabel and learn more about her amazing career so far.

Have you tried courgette spaghetti before?

More tips and tricks for getting perfect courgette spaghetti

Are there other names for courgette spaghetti?

Now there's a can of worms! Parts of the English speaking world, including the UK. calling the beloved long green summer squash a courgette. Meanwhile, other parts, including the USA, tend to call it zucchini.

As a consequence, courgette spaghetti goes by a variety of alternative names.

I've seen it called:

  • 'courgette spaghetti'
  • 'courgetti'
  • 'courgetti spaghetti'
  • 'zucchini spaghetti'
  • 'zucchini noodles'
  • 'zoodles'
  • 'kevin' (not really - I made that one up)

Do I need a spiraliser to make courgette spaghetti?

Spiralised courgette coming out of a spiraliser

A spiraliser is the ideal tool as it does the job quickly and efficiently, giving you lovely long strands of a consistent thickness.

If you don't have a spiraliser a julienne peeler or mandoline with the correct blade will work, although the strands won't be as long.

A sharp knife and plenty of patience would also do the job in a pinch, and although the strands would shorter, it might be a good way to explore if you like the taste and texture before investing in a specialist tool.

Is this dish gluten-free?

Yes, this dish is gluten-free, as long as you make sure to use gluten-free pesto or make your own.

Is this dish vegetarian?

Parmesan cheese usually contains animal rennet, but if you use a vegetarian hard cheese, then the dish is vegetarian.

Is this dish vegan?

To make this dish vegan, substitute the Parmesan cheese for a vegan cheese that grates well.

Why did my courgette spaghetti go soggy?

It's really important that you only cook the spiralised courgette very briefly, before transferring it some paper towels to drain.

These two steps are vital to ensuring you don't end up with wilted, overly soft noodles.

Can fresh courgette spaghetti be frozen?

While you can just about get away with freezing freshly spiralised courgette, I'd recommend against it.

Freezing uncooked vegetables causes ice crystals to form, which puncture the walls of the plant cells. These then release water while thawing, which makes the veg lose their crunch and seem mushy.

However, if you find you have accidentally made far too much, then put the freshly spiralised zoodles in a ziplock bag, freeze them and then drain off the excess liquid once thawed for the best possible results.

Can courgette spaghetti be eaten raw?

Courgette noodles are actually great totally raw when complemented with the right flavours. Put them in a salad with a tart vinaigrette. Heaven!

Or use them raw in place of any dish where you'd usually use cooked wheat pasta - it works surprisingly well!

Can this courgette spaghetti be boiled? Can it be microwaved? Can it be put in the oven?

This dish is absolutely best heated in a pan and eaten immediately.

For other recipes, you could try boiling spiralised courgette, but it will end up rather watery and soft so cook very briefly and drain well. Ditto for microwaving.

What can I use instead of courgettes?

Butternut squash noodles, also known as 'boodles' could would well in the recipe. Just make sure the noodles are sufficiently cooked.

Other squashes will work well too, or even root veg such as carrot or sweet potato.

When experimenting with different vegetables in this recipe, you might find you need to add a splash of water towards the end of the recipe to loosen the sauce.

Let me know which work for you!

What can I use instead of cherry tomatoes?

If you don't like cherry tomatoes or haven't got any in the refrigerator, you could leave them out entirely, or you could try sundried tomatoes, olives, or chopped sweet peppers.

Again, different vegetables release different amounts of water as they cook, so you may get a different consistency to your finished sauce.

Can I leave out the pesto?

Yes, if you leave out the pesto, you'll still get a delicious courgette spaghetti.

If you want to try something different, you could substitute in a little pasta sauce, or perhaps some cream cheese.

Print for later

And here's the courgette spaghetti recipe for you to print out. Let me know if you try it!

Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
4.9 from 9 votes

Annabel Karmel's courgette spaghetti (the best I've tried!)

A fantastic way to tempt fussy eaters with a veg packed, delicious plate of low-carb 'pasta'.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time6 mins
Total Time11 mins
Course: Pasta meals
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Keyword: courgette, pasta, spaghetti
Servings: 4 bowls
Calories: 218kcal
Author: Annabel Karmel

Ingredients

  • 4 large courgettes
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2-3 garlic cloves crushed
  • 250 g (8.8 oz) cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 tbsp fresh green pesto
  • 50 g (1.8 oz) Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese alternative grated
  • pinch salt and black pepper

Equipment

  • Spiraliser
  • Weighing scales
  • Measuring spoons
  • Frying pan
  • Wooden spoon
  • Kitchen paper
  • Chopping board
  • Kitchen knife

Instructions

  • Put the courgettes through a spiraliser to make long spaghetti-like strands.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
  • Add the garlic and fry for a few seconds, then add the spiralised courgettes to the pan.
  • Toss over a high heat for 2-3 minutes, until just softening, then remove and set aside on kitchen paper.
  • Return the frying pan to the heat, add the remaining olive oil, then fry the tomatoes for 2 minutes.
  • Season, add the spiralised courgettes, pesto and grated Parmesan. Season, add the spiralised courgettes, pesto and grated Parmesan. Note from Emily: I find that I don’t always need all of the parmesan and pesto, so I would recommend adding half, stirring through and then adding the rest if needed.
  • Toss until heated through and serve immediately.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 659mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 946IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 201mg | Iron: 1mg
* Note: nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published. Information on this website should not be taken as medical advice. Cuisines identify the primary region of inspiration for a dish.
Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @amummytoo on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. I can't wait to see your posts!

Recipe and photo reproduced with kind permission from Annabel Karmel / Ebury Publishing. Step by step photos shot by me, Emily Leary.

This post was originally published in 2016 and updated in 2019.

Pin Annabel Karmel's courgette spaghetti

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  1. Carlos says

    April 13, 2020 at 9:06 am

    Let me just say that the smoke point of olive oil isnt really the best so it should NOT be cooked at high heat.

    The more extra virgin it is, the higher the smoke point but still, if you wanna cook high heat use avocado oil and maybe add the oilive oil in the end on the top before serving so you have the taste and you didnt heat it up. This way you are preventing free radicals formation from oxidative stress (from heating the olive oil to its smoke point)

    Cheers

    Reply
    • Emily Leary says

      April 13, 2020 at 9:33 am

      This is Annabel's recipe, but in my experience of cooking it, the oil really doesn't get hot as you only turn up the heat once you add the cold, bulky courgette and take it off soon after when the courgette has melted. It doesn't get a chance to smoke.

      Reply
  2. Chloe Edges says

    March 07, 2020 at 8:17 pm

    5 stars
    Kevin! I'm howling! Courgetti shall forever be know as Kevin in my life! The recipe looks great too!

    Reply
  3. Amber Wilde says

    December 23, 2019 at 12:42 pm

    Oh goodness, I love the vibrancy of this recipe and I bet that even my preschoolers would find it appealing! Going to add this to our lunch rotation for after Christmas.

    Reply
    • Emily Leary says

      December 28, 2019 at 10:21 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Georgina says

    July 10, 2018 at 5:43 pm

    5 stars
    Made this and even my fussy children ate it will be a repeated dish many thanks

    Reply
    • Emily Leary says

      July 14, 2018 at 12:11 pm

      Yay - it's really delicious, isn't it?

      Reply
  5. Michael Robinson says

    February 29, 2016 at 12:56 pm

    Simple and healthy what more could you want from a plate of spaghetti! Thanks for sharing this :)

    Reply
  6. Sulema Penney says

    February 26, 2016 at 2:23 pm

    5 stars
    Uhhh I love recipes with courgettes!! Do you think this would be suitable for smaller children? I want to provide some healthy alternative to our upcoming picnic.

    Reply
  7. Torn C. says

    February 25, 2016 at 7:33 am

    5 stars
    Clearly there's a difference between eating spaghetti and courgettes! I get hungry after courgettes in around 2-3 hours, while with spaghetti I am almost never hungry for the next 5. Great way to lose some weight!

    Reply
  8. Eb Gargano says

    February 23, 2016 at 3:35 pm

    Yum - this looks so delicious and easy! Pinning :-) Eb x

    Reply
  9. Vicki Montague - The Free From Fairy says

    February 23, 2016 at 12:02 pm

    How exciting!!! Well done for getting involved in this. I love courgette spaghetti and so do the kids. I'll have to give this recipe a go!

    Reply
    • Emily Leary says

      February 23, 2016 at 11:29 pm

      Thank you! Hope you enjoy it :D

      Reply
  10. Jane Taylor says

    February 23, 2016 at 9:08 am

    OOh! I was wondering what to do with that bag of fresh spaghetti in the fridge. Delicious, thanks!

    Reply
  11. Anukampa says

    February 22, 2016 at 6:51 am

    4 stars
    Wonderful. looks colourful and spectacular.

    Reply
  12. Elinor Hill aka Beachhutcook says

    February 21, 2016 at 6:31 pm

    5 stars
    Looks so fresh and spring like. Delicious.

    Reply

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