EMERGENCY PASTA WITH ZOODLES
I grew up eating “Emergency Pasta,” which is the nickname my grandpa Albino gave to the classic recipe more commonly known as aglio, olio, e pepperoncini, which most Italians have in their arsenal of quick recipes. My grandfather referred to it as Emergency Pasta because you always had the ingredients on hand; if someone came over unexpectedly, you could still make them a meal—because no one should ever leave your house hungry. SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 5 minutes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 or 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ hot red pepper, minced (or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes)
3 or 4 large zucchini, spiralized or julienned into noodles
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
- In a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, and stir it around. Remove from the heat as soon as the garlic becomes fragrant—about 30 seconds—because you don’t want to burn it at all. Add the hot red pepper, and pour the sauce into a serving dish.
- In the same pan over medium heat, sauté the zucchini noodles for 3 to 4 minutes, just until slightly softened. Transfer the noodles to the serving dish, season with salt and pepper, and toss with the sauce.
- Serve immediately.
VARIATION 1 EMERGENCY PASTA WITH CHICKEN: Make this dish a little heartier by adding diced chicken to the pan. Add an extra tablespoon of olive oil and a few more pinches of salt.
VARIATION 2 PESTO ZOODLES: Make the zucchini noodles according to the recipe above, and then dress them with Pesto (here) instead of aglio, olio, e pepperoncini.
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Emergency pasta with zoodles is the dinner you make when the pantry looks bare but you still want something that tastes like a proper bowl of pasta. Garlic gently poaches in olive oil with a whisper of hot red pepper, then gets tossed over barely-tender zucchini noodles. Five ingredients, ten minutes, and it tastes like a Roman trattoria.
Pro Tips
- Pull the pan off the heat the moment the garlic turns fragrant — about 30 seconds. Burnt garlic ruins this dish instantly.
- Sauté the zucchini noodles briefly, just 3 to 4 minutes; longer and they release water and go limp.
- Slice the garlic thinly and evenly so every strand of noodle gets the same garlicky hit.
- Save a spoonful of the garlicky oil to drizzle over the top when serving — it's the sauce that brings everything together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are zoodles?
Zucchini noodles — raw zucchini spiralized or julienned into pasta-like strands. They're the grain-free base of this quick emergency dinner.
Can I use a spiralizer for this?
Yes, and it's fastest. A julienne peeler works fine too, or simply cut the zucchini into thin matchsticks by hand.
Why are my zoodles watery?
They were cooked too long or over too low heat. High heat and a short cook keep them tender-crisp instead of soggy.
Is this dish Paleo?
Completely — zucchini, olive oil, garlic, chili, salt. It's one of the purest, simplest recipes in the book.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- In a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, heat the olive oil.
- Add the garlic, and stir it around.
- Remove from the heat as soon as the garlic becomes fragrant—about 30 seconds—because you don’t want to burn it at all.
- Add the hot red pepper, and pour the sauce into a serving dish.
- In the same pan over medium heat, sauté the zucchini noodles for 3 to 4 minutes, just until slightly softened.
- Transfer the noodles to the serving dish, season with salt and pepper, and toss with the sauce.
- Serve immediately.
