This post was sponsored by Green Giant as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Zucchini noodles tossed with a savory bacon tomato sauce is a delicious swap-in for quick and easy pasta side dishes.
Over the last 7 years our family has made baby steps toward healthier eating. In these years we’ve gone from eating many processed foods to meals that focus on fresh produce and wholesome ingredients. Zucchini is one of those veggies we eat often in everything from roasted veggies to curry.
I find it is so much easier than I once imagined to make wholesome meals in no time. But still, prepping fresh veggies takes time. Sometimes I just don’t have it. And this is where I am so grateful for companies like Green Giant® who look at the needs we busy families have and work to solve the problem of eating healthy food that’s been put on the table fast. In fact, this veggie side can be ready in 2 easy steps if you keep it to just the veggies (and some seasonings)!
Green Giant® Veggie Spirals come in butternut squash, zucchini, beet, and carrot and are a new gluten-free take on noodles. You can find them in the freezer section of Walmart stores across the country.
They couldn’t have come at a better time because one of our family’s baby steps this year is to lower our pasta consumption even more than we already have and find other easy dinner options.
Spiralized veggies are an easy swap-in and I love that Green Giant decided to debut these with no sauces or seasonings added so we can use them in any recipe we want with whatever traditional or ethnic flavors we want.
Now, I won’t even try to pretend that you will get the exact same comfort food fix you would get with traditional pasta dishes, but you CAN get a delicious dish that helps you miss that pasta comfort food a bit less. Plus, if you’re trying to eat a bit healthier, they are straight up veggies and have up to 90% LESS calories than pasta. That means I feel no guilt over pairing them with a bit of bacon.
Oh yeah! I totally said bacon. You’re gonna love this tomato bacon sauce I cook my zucchini noodles with. Serve this tasty side dish with baked chicken or as a lunch dish tossed with grilled chicken cubes. You can’t go wrong either way. In fact, make a double batch – one for dinner and one for lunch tomorrow.
PrintZucchini Noodles with Tomato Bacon Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
Ingredients
- 3 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1/2 cup minced red onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 can (14-15 oz.) crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 pkg. Green Giant Zucchini Veggie Spirals
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Cut bacon into small pieces and saute over medium high heat with onion and garlic until lightly brown and onion and garlic is soft, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, zucchini spirals, and seasonings.
- Cover. Cook 7 minutes, removing the lid midway through to ensure it isn’t burning to the bottom – give it a quick stir and put the lid back on.
- Remove lid and cook 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Visit the Green Giant® website for more fabulous Veggie Spiral recipes like this zucchini noodles dish then let me know which one you’ll try second. ‘Cause you know you HAVE to try this one first!
I make this all the time and call it Zucchini Jam, using cherry tomatoes and just thin slice the zucchini and also some sweet pizza sauce at the end because it dries as it cooks. We eat it as is for a main dish, dip crusty bread in it or toss it with some pasta. Very versatile and so yummy. Good for you and your family making healthy changes.
★★★★
This sounds delicious! I will have to try it sometime. Thank you for sharing.
Made this for dinner last night. So good! Thanks for the recipe.