Zoodle Bowls with Tomato Sauce and Sausage

This recipe is just like Paleo spaghetti! Of course, zucchini noodles take the place of traditional spaghetti, but the comforting tomato sauce on top will make you feel like you're eating a bowl of spaghetti.

Zoodle Bowls with Tomato Sauce and Sausage
Photo: Blaine Moats
Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
35 mins
Broil Time:
16 mins
Stand Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 41 mins
Servings:
6
Yield:
3 cups sauce with sausage (plus 2 cups for another use)

Ingredients

  • 4 pound tomatoes, cored, halved, and seeded

  • 1 red sweet pepper, halved and seeded

  • 3 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 cup chopped sweet onion

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt

  • ¾ teaspoon black pepper

  • ½ cup chopped fresh basil, Italian parsley, and/or oregano

  • 3 3 ounce links fully cooked chicken sausage, bias-sliced

  • Nonstick cooking spray

  • 24 cup zucchini or yellow summer squash noodles* (about 6 squash)

Directions

  1. Preheat broiler. Lightly brush tomatoes and sweet pepper with 1 Tbsp. of the oil. Arrange half of the tomatoes and the pepper, cut sides down, in a 15x10-inch baking pan. Broil 5 to 6 inches from heat 8 to 10 minutes or until charred. Remove from pan; wrap pepper in foil. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes. Let tomatoes and pepper stand 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Peel off and discard skins. Chop tomatoes and pepper.

  2. In a large saucepan heat 1 Tbsp. oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, sweet pepper, vinegar, salt, and 1/4 tsp. of the black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 20 to 30 minutes or until tomatoes have broken down and mixture is slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Return to saucepan; heat through. Stir in herbs. Transfer half of the sauce to a freezer container, let cool, and freeze up to 3 months.**

  3. Meanwhile, in a very large nonstick skillet heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil over medium. Add sausage; cook about 5 minutes or until golden, turning once. Stir into warm sauce.

  4. Coat the skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium high. Add half of the zoodles; cook and toss with tongs 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. of the black pepper. Repeat with remaining zoodles and black pepper. Serve sauce over hot zoodles.

*Tip

Use a spiralizer to cut zucchini into noodles or look for them already prepared in the produce aisle of your supermarket. You really do want 24 cups of zoodles because you will have half as much after cooking.

**Tip

Thaw frozen sauce overnight in refrigerator. Reheat in a medium saucepan over medium-low until heated through. Use as desired.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

282 Calories
12g Fat
32g Carbs
16g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 282
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 33mg 11%
Sodium 389mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 12%
Total Sugars 23g
Protein 16g
Vitamin C 127.5mg 638%
Calcium 129mg 10%
Iron 3.3mg 18%
Potassium 1935mg 41%
Folate, total 144.8mcg
Vitamin B-6 1mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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