Cheesy Keto Zoodle Bake w/ Italian Sausage
I spotted quite a few different spiralized “veggie pasta” options on my last trip to the grocery store, but classic zucchini will always be the original to me. Unfortunately, my first attempts at keto zoodle recipes often turned into a soggy mess. It took a little trial and error, but I’m starting to feel like I’ve cracked the code! Using salt to prep the zucchini for this keto zoodle bake is key. The salt draws out the extra moisture so there’s no mushy result. I use a similar technique for my keto loaded zucchini skins recipe.
The zoodles are then combined with diced tomatoes, Italian sausage, fresh basil, and other herbs to create a flavorful meal. Finally, because everything is better with cheese, this keto zoodle bake is topped with mozzarella before going in the oven. It’s a pretty straightforward keto one pan meal that makes it easy to serve up a dinner for 4-6 people without a lot of time or dishes.
Looking for other keto one pan meals? Try this keto chicken and broccoli alfredo bake!
Keto Zoodle Bake w/ Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb bulk Italian sausage
- 1/2 ounce fresh grated parmesan
- 4 ounces shredded mozzarella
Zoodles
- 1.5 lb zucchini noodles 2-3 medium large zucchini
- 2 tsp sea salt
Sauce
- 1/2 cup (about 2oz) red onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 14-15oz can diced tomatoes no salt or sugar added
- 3-4 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried parsely
Instructions
Prep Zoodles
- Toss zoodles with 2 teaspoons of salt and allow to rest in a colander/strainer for at least 20 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
Brown Sausage
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Add olive oil to an oven safe skillet over medium high heat. Add Italian sausage to pan.
- Cook for 6-7 minutes, or until browned, breaking up the sausage as you go.
- Remove cooked sausage from pan and set aside.
Prep the Sauce
- In the same pan, add diced onion. Saute for 4-5 minutes, or until softened and lightly browned.
- Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Add diced tomatoes, fresh basil, and other spices to pan, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add cooked sausage to tomato mixture and stir to distribute. Remove pan from heat.
Keto Zoodle Bake
- Discard any drained liquid from the salted zucchini. Carefully squeeze the zoodles to remove as much of anyway remaining liquid as possible, then add to pan.
- Add parmesan to pan and toss to combine.
- Finally, top the zoodle mixture with shredded mozzarella.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.
- Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Serve and Enjoy!
- Top with additional basil or parmesan if desired.
Notes
- Make sure you're using quality Italian sausage without added carbs/fillers! Lately I've been using the sausage from Butcher Box, but there are good store bought options too.
- Similarly, choose tomatoes without added sugar, corn syrup, etc. You can even use fresh tomatoes if you prefer, or 3/4 to 1 cup of low carb tomato sauce.
Nutrition
