Garlic Butter Zucchini Noodles That Are Not Watery

Garlic butter zucchini noodles have a reputation for ending up in a puddle, and this recipe explains why. The strands are salted, drained and pressed dry, then tossed in a hot skillet for 90 seconds with garlic, butter and olive oil. A little lemon and parmesan finish it off the heat. It serves 4 and takes 20 minutes, with most of that time spent waiting for the salt to do its work. Supermarket zucchini is all you need, which suits an October weeknight when you want something fast, and it works the same all year because it does not depend on garden timing.

Why this works

• A zucchini strand cooks in about 90 seconds.
• Every extra minute past that releases the water that makes people say zoodles are watery.
• Salting and draining first pulls out water that would otherwise turn the sauce into soup.
• Pressing between towels, not wringing, keeps the strands long.
• Adding the lemon and parmesan off the heat lets the cheese coat every strand instead of cooking into the pan.

What to know about the ingredients

You need 4 medium zucchini, spiralized, which is about 900 g. Pick straight zucchini of even width, since they make the longest, most even strands. Thin, firm ones work best.

Butter and olive oil are used together. The butter brings flavor, and the olive oil rounds out the pan sauce. Slice the garlic thin so it turns pale gold in 60 seconds instead of burning. Fresh lemon juice and grated parmesan finish the dish, so use real ones.

If you have no spiralizer, a vegetable peeler does the job. Run it down each side to make wide ribbons and slice those into strands. Do not skip the salting step in either case, because it is the one that protects the sauce. Salt for drawing water is a separate measure from the finish, so the pepper and cheese do the seasoning at the end. Use a large skillet so the strands have room to move, since a crowded pan holds steam and softens them faster.

Tips for getting it right

1. Salt the strands in a colander and let them drain over a bowl 15 minutes. You will collect 60 to 90 ml (1/4 to 1/3 cup) of water.
2. Press the strands between two clean kitchen towels and pat firmly. Do not twist.
3. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a 12 inch (30 cm) skillet over medium heat, then cook the garlic 60 seconds, until pale gold and fragrant.
4. Toss with tongs for 90 seconds. Watch for gloss and a bend that springs back.
5. Take the pan off the heat before you add the lemon juice, parmesan and pepper.
6. Toss until the cheese coats every strand, and stop there. More tossing only gives the strands time to give up water.
7. Serve in warmed bowls right away. Zoodles keep releasing water on the plate, so a warm bowl and a fast trip to the table matter more than they sound.

How to store, freeze and make ahead

Spiralize and salt up to 8 hours ahead and keep the drained strands in the fridge on a towel. Cook only at the last minute. Treat it as a serve-now dish and cook only what you will eat. This is a fresh, quick meal, so the make-ahead work is all in the prep stage.

What to serve with it

Serve it with Hidden Veggie Marinara, or exactly like this, with more lemon. Because the noodles are light, they suit a night when you want something quick next to a protein of your choice. A plate of Shaved Zucchini Ribbon Salad shows the same vegetable raw, and Ten Minute Garlic Zucchini is the cooked-coin version if you want a second side.

If the noodles do release a little water in the bowl, that is a sign they sat too long, not that the recipe failed. Next time, shave a few seconds off the toss and serve them faster.

Variations

• Toss the strands in warm marinara instead of the butter sauce.
• Add extra lemon at the table, as in the photo.
• Finish with lemon zest on top.
• Use parmesan shavings as well as grated cheese for texture.

Read the guide to Zucchini Recipes and Small-Batch Preserving for more zucchini recipes to cook year round.