Zucchini Noodles with Ground Pork Sauce

Even though last week I said I was posting my last zucchini recipe for this fall, I made my Zucchini Noodles with Ground Pork Sauce for dinner this week, and my husband Robert said I HAD to post it – he liked it that much!

I love zucchini noodles. Not only are they are a healthy break from eating pasta (which we do a lot in our house, given Robert’s Italian heritage!), they cook up quickly, add color to the plate – oh, and are yummy, too.

One evening, Robert wanted Italian food, and I didn’t want pasta, so I created this recipe for Zucchini Noodles with Ground Pork Sauce. Robert loves the traditional Italian combination of sausage, peppers and onions, so I decided to create a sauce based around those flavors. Instead of sausage, I started with ground pork, adding in basil, fennel seed, oregano and marjoram to amp up the flavor. Next I added bell pepper (red and green for color), onion, garlic and mushrooms. After sautéing all together, I set it on low to simmer and keep warm, while quickly sautéing some zucchini noodles. Plating the noodles with the sauce mounded on top turned out to be a colorful and appetizing presentation. Robert likes this dish so much, he doesn’t even miss the pasta!

Quick and easy to prepare, pretty on the plate and scrumptious to eat – Zucchini Noodles with Ground Pork Sauce is a winner in our house, and I hope it will be in yours, too!

Zucchini Noodles with Ground Pork Sauce

Seasoned ground pork is sautéed with fresh mushrooms, peppers, onions and garlic, then served atop zucchini noodles.

• Author: (By Lee Clayton Roper)
• Yield: 4 servings
• Category: Main dish, pork, quick and easy

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

2 medium red peppers, cored and chopped

2 medium green peppers, cored and chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 teaspoons chopped fresh garlic

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Kosher salt, to taste

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

16 to 18 ounces zucchini noodles

Nature’s Seasons, to taste

Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large skillet or sauté pan, cook pork over medium heat until no longer pink, stirring and breaking up meat into small pieces.
2. Stir in mushrooms, peppers, onion and garlic. Sprinkle basil, fennel, oregano and marjoram over the top and stir. Add 4 teaspoons olive oil if needed (see Note). Cook until the vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low to keep sauce warm while you cook the zucchini.
3. Place remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the zucchini noodles and cook, stirring with tongs, just until heated through and just starting to soften (al dente) – around 1 minute. Season noodles with a sprinkle or two of Nature’s Seasons.
4. Using tongs, divide noodles among 4 serving plates (or place on one serving platter). Mound sauce on top of noodles. Serve grated Parmesan cheese on the side.

Notes

Note on olive oil: You may not need to add all 4 teaspoons of the olive oil to the pork-vegetable mixture, depending on the leanness of your pork. You want the mixture to be moist but not too oily.

Note on zucchini noodles: You can purchase prepared noodles in the produce department at many grocery stores, or you can make your own with a spiralizer.