Olive Garden Is Serving Zoodles Primavera With Zucchini Noodles
"Zoodles" sounds like a dish from a Dr. Seuss book, but they're much more real than green eggs and ham — and as of late May, they're featured on Olive Garden restaurant menus in a lighter take on that fan favorite, pasta primavera.
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What are zoodles, you ask? The Z comes from zucchini, which is what these long, thin "noodles" are made of. And while many purists are displeased, zoodles are a boon for diners in search of gluten-free or low-carb options, and they've grown increasingly popular as more home cooks buy the spiralizer tool used to make them.
Olive Garden's Zoodles Primavera is made with zucchini noodles and packed with colorful veggies. The summery dish tosses the zoodles in a light basil cream sauce, adding broccoli, carrots, seasoned tomatoes, roasted red peppers and mushrooms.
Zoodles Primavera can be ordered in a lunch bowl, starting at $8.99, or for dinner beginning at $14.99. Chicken can be added for $2, or shrimp for $4. It's all part of Olive Garden's Tastes of the Mediterranean menu, featuring dishes under 600 calories and inspired by flavors and ingredients from Italy's Mediterranean coast.
This isn't the first time zoodles have zoomed onto the Olive Garden menu. A representative told The Daily Meal that in 2018, zoodles were featured in a spiralized veggie pasta dish, but that dish also featured whole-grain linguine. Zoodles Primavera is Olive Garden's first zoodles dish to omit standard noodles entirely.
If you're making zoodles at home, take note of these tips for the best possible taste. And if you're adding them to your diet out of a fear of carbs, brush up on your nutrition facts by getting an answer to every question you've ever had about carbs.