This Low Carb Chicken and Sundried Tomato Alfredo Zoodle dish is a satisfying low carb and ketogenic one pan meal. It’s full of flavor and protein and covered in a savory, creamy sauce.
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Unarguably, the most difficult thing to overcome in any low-carb diet and especially a ketogenic diet (which is what I’ve been trying out for 6 weeks now and you can read all about it here) is the lack of all things glutinous. Pasta, bread, rice, grains of any kind, and potatoes are on the list of things a low-carber cannot let pass their lips. Even the “gluten-free” pastas are super high in carbohydrates. This makes one-pan dinners tough to execute and it’s hard to be a mother without a couple one pan meals in your recipe box. Enter the ridiculously named “zoodle”.
Now look, I will be the first to admit that when the zoodle (zucchini + noodle = zoodle) craze hit my Pinterest page (along with salads in a jar) I was not impressed. Zucchini does not taste like noodles, why on Earth would anyone do this to themselves? A few months later when my pants wouldn’t zip, I thought zoodles didn’t sound so dumb. And lets be honest, after December we could all stand to eat a lot less pasta.
To make zoodles, you’ll need a zoodler (good heavens, that word makes me sound like a toddler). There are lots of options out there. There are handheld versions that are the size of a coffee cup and there are tabletop versions which come with different blades for different shapes of zoodles. It doesn’t matter which one you get, they all make noodles out of vegetables. Your kids will have tons of fun with it (and you will, too) and they will love this creamy recipe and I have to say…the zoodles are pretty similar to the real thing. So…embrace the zoodle!
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon chopped
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cubed
- ½ teaspoon each kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 shallots minced
- 1/2 cup diced sundried tomatoes packed in oil
- 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon marjoram
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups zoodles
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan
Instructions
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until nice and crisp. Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain but leave the fat in the pan.
- Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and then add to the skillet. Cook on all sides until the outsides are golden brown but not cooked all the way through. Remove the chicken from the pan to a bowl.
- Add the butter to the pan and sauté the garlic and shallots for one minute. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach to the pan along with the seasonings. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened and the spinach has wilted. Add the chicken back to the pan. Add the chicken stock to the pan and scrap up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom. Stir in the cream and bring the pot to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened somewhat.
- Add the zoodles and parmesan (reserve a little to sprinkle on top at the end) to the pan and fold in using a pair of tongs. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until the zoodles have softened a little bit (not too much, a little “tooth” left is nice).
- Divide onto serving plates and sprinkle with a little extra Parmesan and the cooked bacon.
I need to buy a spiralizer! It’s been on my list of desired kitchen gadgets for awhile now but my tiny kitchen is so limited on space! Soon, I’ll get my hands on one!
I thought I would never use mine when my husband bought it for me, but I am surprised by how often I use it! They do have handheld ones that will fit in a kitchen drawer should you ever want to give it a shot!
I admit, I’ve never tried to zoodle! I love the idea though- I think as long as you don’t expect it to taste exactly like pasta, then it would be great. I want to try this!
Yes exactly! You can’t go in to a zoodle thinking it’s going to taste like spaghetti, but they are delicious in their own right. Thanks for stopping by!
The recipe looks delicious! but I also need a spiralizer… 😉
You could use the heater on your food processor. Or just buy some premade zoodles or…date I say it…use pasta. It’ll be delish either way. Thanks for stopping in!
I love this dish! What a hearty dish with so many sources of flavor!
I do like the low carb option zoodles give a recipe. It’s not the same as pasta but tastes great with the same sauces you would serve with pasta. Your pics are AMAZING by the way, I love your style!
Thank you! I thought these pics turned out almost as good as the dinner. ?
Zoodles are just the best – and adding bacon, too? I’m sold!
Your commentary on the zoodle had me giggling! It is so ridiculous to say but it sure is yummy to eat. I had to give up gluten and grains a few years ago and since then my spiralizer has been my BFF! Your recipe looks delish! Think I’d be able to sub full fat coconut milk for the heavy cream?
I don’t see why not as long as you don’t mind the coco nutty flavor. And probably leave out the Parm. It would be worth a shot!
This looks so saucy and delicious! I’m with you on the zoodles. At first, I wasn’t so into it but now that I have a spiralizer I just want to spiraling everything! Zoodles are by far my favorite. This is a great low carb option.
Thank you and thanks for stopping by.
I was initially skeptical of zoodles too. Even though I’m not avoiding gluten, over the summer I had way too many yellow a green summer squashes on my hands so I gave zoodles a try. Everyone in my family ended up loving them! I’m going to keep this recipe in mind to try this summer when I’m overrun with zucchini!
The same think happens to us in the summer. A few squash plants can overrun a family.
That’s is exactly how I got myself into the zoodle craze last year ! My weight went up and giving up noodles to zoodles really helped me
Yes! It makes a difference.
I first discovered the spiralizer about 12 years ago, and it’s one of my favorite kitchen tools. I recently lent mine out to a friend and have been anxious to get it back. As soon as I do, this is the first recipe I’m making!
Thank you! I’m surprised how much I use it. I hope you get yours back soon!