So I have officially become a zoodle devotee. I have drunk the zoodle kool-aid, am a zoodle zealot, and sing their praises anytime I am given the chance. Not only are there a plethora of amazing zoodle-specific recipes out there (many more of my faves to come), but if I come across the right pasta recipe, I find that zoodles can easily be substituted for conventional pasta with just a few simple tweaks.

Let’s take this Greek Pasta Recipe as an example (original recipe can be found on The Kitchn). I kept the base ingredients and proportions the same, and just swapped the pasta for zucchini noodles. Add the zoodles right at the end, give them a quick 2-minute toss to warm them up, throw in some fresh chopped mint, and you are ready to roll. I don’t recommend leaving the zoodles in the sauce much longer than that, as they have quite a high moisture content and will start releasing water, making it all a bit soupy. The fresh mint adds a bright little touch at the end, and I also added cherry tomatoes, which I highly recommend that you do as well. See below for my updated recipe.

Greek Zucchini Noodles with Lamb, Peppers, Mint, and Feta

Serves 4 (I have also halved this recipe and it worked out perfectly)

1 pound zucchini noodles (about 7-8 zucchini, pending size. Save the ends and chop them up to add to the saute)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ground lamb

Red pepper flakes

As many cherry tomatoes as your heart desires, all halved

1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped

8 to 10 peppadew peppers, sliced

6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Fresh mint, chopped

Brown the lamb in your deepest, widest sauté pan (a Dutch oven would work as well). Cook the lamb over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to break it into crumbles. Cook for about 7 to 10 minutes, or until the lamb is completely cooked and beginning to crisp up and get deeply browned. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Add the zucchini chunks leftover from the zoodle ends and continue cooking over medium-high heat for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until the zucchini is hot but still crisp. Toss in the olives, sliced peppers, and cherry tomatoes and cook for an additional 1 minute or until they are heated through. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss the zucchini noodles into the pan and allow them to heart through for about 3 minutes. Stir thoroughly then top with the crumbled feta and chopped mint. Serve immediately.