Welcome to the 2nd post in my week of low carb zucchini recipes! If you’re just catching up, yesterday I posted my new favorite low carb breakfast recipe – Bacon and Zucchini Eggs in a Nest!
I will continue to post delicious zucchini-themed low carb recipes for the rest of the week so stay tuned for more!
Today, before I get to the actual recipe, I want to talk about spiralizers! Those are the genius gadgets that turn your veggies into noodles for all sorts of delicious applications! This is the one I have and I can’t say enough about how great it is! It will turn not only zucchini, but even firmer veggies like Daikon radish or sweet potatoes into noodles with almost zero effort.
To me that’s what makes it worth the $30 bucks as opposed to a cheaper handheld one that you will have to wrestle with and ultimately get so frustrated by that you will rarely use. Thus depriving you of a healthy and delicious low carb pasta alternative – so sad!
So if you don’t have a decent spiralizer yet, it’s time to bite the bullet and invest in one ASAP! You can use it year round and you won’t regret it!!!
Assuming you’ve already got some kind of spiralizer ready to go, then this will be one of the quickest and easiest meals you’ve made in a long time! You’re looking at a grand total of about 5 minutes of cooking time – meaning less than 10 minutes from start to finish, including prep!
So little effort for such a delicious and super healthy low carb meal!
Let’s chat about sardines for a minute. People love them or hate them, and I get that. If you’re not a fan, here’s why you should reconsider and at least give them another try!
Sardines are one of the leading sources of Omega 3’s, which is not only incredibly heart healthy, it also helps with glucose and insulin metabolism among other things. It’s also a valuable source of B vitamins, most importantly B12 – not to mention calcium, selenium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and copper just to name a few!
Because they are so small, they also avoid the mercury buildup that you can potentially find in larger fish, so you’re getting all those health boosting benefits without the drawbacks of say Salmon or Tuna.
Finally, sardines are relatively inexpensive and because they don’t require refrigeration they are so easy to keep around to use anytime! You can even find them packed in hot sauce, tomatoes, mustard, or other delicious condiments so all you need is a fork and you’ve got lunch ready to go whenever you need it!
For this recipe I used a high quality brisling sardine, which are small and perfect for this recipe – the brand I used cost about $3.50. Make sure you get them packed in olive oil for this recipe as we’ll use that oil to saute the garlic and tomatoes with.
Speaking of the recipe, it’s delicious! Lot’s of garlic, a subtle sweetness from the zucchini and tomatoes, and the briny capers to cut through the fattiness of the sardines. It’s refreshing and hearty all at the same time!
If you just can’t stand the idea of the sardines, you can easily substitute chicken in this dish with excellent results. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time so that your chicken cooks all the way through!
As written, this low carb zucchini recipe is not only gluten free, but also dairy free, egg free, nut free, grain free, Paleo, and even Whole 30 approved!
Seriously – it doesn’t get a lot easier or healthier than this recipe! I also happen to think that it’s incredibly delicious and I hope you’ll agree!
Now if you don’t have a problem with dairy and aren’t on a Whole 30, then you may want to adorn your zoodles with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese which totally takes it to the next level.
Delicious without cheese, it’s mind-blowing with it. So if you’ve got Parmesan or Pecorino around and have no reason not to partake – DO. IT.
Next up this week is a fantastic savory zucchini bread that I just made this afternoon. It’s amazing. That is all.
Be sure to check back so you don’t miss it – or if you aren’t already subscribed to IBIH emails, now is the perfect time to sign up and I’ll be showing up in your in box to let you know when it gets posted!
OH HAI. *waves enthusiastically* It’s me!!!!
Stalker level = EXPERT.
PrintZoodles with Sardines, Tomatoes & Capers – Low Carb
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
This low carb zucchini recipe contains super healthy sardines, garlic, tomatoes, capers and fresh herbs. Easy and delicious, it’s also Paleo and Whole 30 approved!!
Ingredients
- 4 oz can of brisling sardines packed in olive oil
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 Tbsp capers, drained
- 4 cups zucchini noodles
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Open the sardines and gently pour the oil into a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the 1 Tbsp olive oil to the sardine oil.
- Add the garlic to the oil and cook for one minute or until fragrant and sizzling.
- Add the capers and tomatoes and cook for another minute.
- Add the sardines and cook for another minute.
- Add the zucchini noodles and stir gently so you don’t break up the sardines too much. Cook for 2 minutes – or longer if you like them really soft.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
- Parmesan cheese on top is optional.
Notes
Approx nutrition info per serving: 230 calories, 19g fat, 6g net carbs, 10g protein
- Category: Low Carb Dinner Recipe
- Cuisine: Italian
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Esther A says
I was so pleased with this recipe! I like sardines and usually just eat them out of the can!!! Because, I had no idea of a way to make them into a main dish! I have made it several times and will continue to! Thanks for another great recipe!
★★★★★
Cathy says
What a great recipient. I had to use mustard sardines cuz we had bought a case at the beginning of the Covid thing. It was kind of a Dijon mustard and turned out great. Soooo. If you’re stuck with flavored sardines I say go for it. First time I ever cooked sardines. Also first time I made zoodles. Great experience.
★★★★★
Sara says
How many zucchini would that be per person? I want to meal prep this next week for my husband and I! Would it be ok to sub sundried tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes?
Cricket Carpenter says
This is fantastic! I made this last night with fresh spralized (sp?) zucchini as a side dish. I was making this for the first time for my teenage sons and hubby, so I left out the sardines because they scare me a little. There was not one drop left and my son commented that it reminded him of a special restaurant that we go to in NYC. We are following a low carb diet. Limiting carbs is making my bunch cranky at times, but this dish satisfied everyone! AND……..IT’S SO EASY!
Thank you for another great recipe!
★★★★★
Claire says
Just made it! Turned out great!! Also put some shrimp in it and some red pepper flakes to add a little spice :) love your site!
Judy m says
I love this spiralizer and LOVE this recipe. I added crushed red pepper. GREAT! Thanks. I’m a fan.
★★★★
QueenofDreams says
Oh sorry, I managed to miss the ‘2 servings’ written there!
QueenofDreams says
Hey, can I ask how much a serving is please? I’d very much like to add this to my list of foods to try it looks delicious!
KalynsKitchen says
Good morning! Just letting you know that I just featured this recipe in my 25 Deliciously Healthy Low-Carb Recipes round-up. Hope a lot of my readers will come over here and check it out!
And this just went on my personal must-try list. I love sardines!
Anu says
Oh wow, this was so unexpectedly good! Both my husband and I love tiny fish like sardines, but I wasn’t sure how this sauce would work with the zoodles. But we loved it, even my husband who is not on low-carb and loves his pasta. Thanks again for all your great recipes!
★★★★★
Sue M says
I saw this & first thought that came to me is maybe anchovies instead of sardines. Both are a salty fish. My husband doesn’t like sardines but does anchovies. (Crazy I know)
★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
I actually think this would be fantastic with the anchovies Sue – hope your husband likes it if you try it!
Tricia says
Cooking the anchovies down with the tomatoes onions and garlic make a wonderful base sauce.
Kristel says
I love how you incorporated sardines into a main dish. I will be making this!
Robin says
You had me at zoodles, but lost me at sardines. Perhaps I’ll try it with another fish friend. Thank you for your posts.
Mellissa Sevigny says
LOL Robin I appreciate your honestly! I figured the sardines would be a hard sell but they really are good for you and it’s quite tasty! This would be awesome with cooked chicken as well so maybe you’ll give that a try sometime! ;)