Easy Weeknight Dinner: Zoodles with Homemade Tomato Sauce

Alright guys – this recipe is a good one. Not only is it seriously delicious, it is seriously easy. And because you’re making the sauce from scratch, you will feel fancy AF. Every time I make this sauce I’m convinced I should be on Top Chef.

It makes your kitchen smell incredible, will impress anyone you’re cooking for, and is pretty hard to mess up.

Not to mention – it is SO healthy. Because this recipe uses zucchini noodles, you’re getting a pasta vibe with out all the carbs – a medium zucchini has only 4 net carbs and 58% your daily Vitamin C – plus a nutritional punch from the sauce.

Tomatoes (especially tomato paste) are an excellent source of lycopene – a type of carotenoid that gives fruits and veggies their red / pink color.

Lycopene is pretty great for a couple key reasons: 

• Powerful Antioxidant – By now you probably know antioxidants are good for you – they help neutralize free radicals to prevent oxidative damage. And lycopene is one hell of antioxidant – it has the free radical neutralizing ability 2X as high as beta-carotene and 10X higher than vitamin E
• UV protection – This one is pretty wild. Studies have found that daily lycopene consumption with olive oil for 10 weeks (compared to a control group of just olive oil) was able to reduce the lycopene group’s susceptibility to SUNBURN. Talk about anti-aging (and skin cancer) prevention from the inside out.
• Prostate Cancer Protection – Lycopene has been most well studied relating to prostate cancer. Observational and epidelogical studies have found correlations between lycopene intake and reduced prostate cancer risk. Some clinal trials have even found consistent lycopene intake to reduce PSA (a biomarker for prostate cancer risk).

Note: Lycopene becomes more bioavailable with heat, making tomato paste a higher source of lycopene than fresh tomatoes (a rare instance when something canned beats out the fresh stuff, at least for this nutrient). Always pair your carotenoids (like lycopene) with a fat source to make them bioavailable aka absorbable by the body – the Italians are really onto something with the tomato + olive oil combo.

WHAT YOU NEED

For the sauce:

• 1 large can crushed organic tomatoes (28 oz)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3-4 garlic cloves (crushed)
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 2-3 tbsp high quality olive oil
• 1/2 tsp: black pepper, garlic powder, pink salt
• 1/4 tsp: oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper
• Fresh basil leaves

Other:

• Organic chicken breast (1 per serving)
• 1 tbsp avocado oil, salt, pepper, garlic
• 1-2 zucchinis (per serving)

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Start by prepping your chicken your favorite way and set aside
   1. I like to cook chicken breasts on the stove top in cast iron – seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and cooked with avocado oil – cooked for 10 minutes covered on each side, let rest for at least 5 minutes covered before removing from heat (key for making it juicy / not dry)
2. Prep your noodles and set aside
   1. You can buy zucchinis pre-zoodled at trader joes or whole foods, or prep yourself using a spiralizer
   2. I like my zoodles soft (not raw) so I will precook by sautéing in a pan for ~5 minutes (no oil) – they should release some water which is ideal so that water isn’t released in the sauce later
3. Make the sauce*
   1. Start by slicing your canned tomatoes into chunks (I like a chunkier sauce, dice thinner if you want a smoother sauce) and add to pan with tomato paste, crushed garlic, olive oil, and spices*
   2. Let simmer on low for 15-20 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to cook down (and your kitchen begins to smell amazing)
   3. Add lemon juice and fresh shredded basil near the end
4. Throw it all together
   1. In the same pan, add the pre-cooked zoodles and chicken and let it simmer with the sauce
   2. Serve and top with fresh basil and extra cracked pepper & red chili flakes

*Honestly, have fun here – every time I make this I do my spice ratios a little differently – taste test along the way and embrace your inner chef

What are some of your favorite easy dinner recipes?