Zucchini Noodles with Tuna and Green Olives

Grab a can of tuna and some zucchini and make these Zucchini Noodles with Tuna and Green Olives; this is quick and tasty for a low-carb meal! And anyone who likes tuna and green olives (like me) is going to love this for a warm-weather meal.

PIN the Zucchini Noodles with Tuna to try it later!

Zucchini noodle season is coming, and personally I couldn’t be happier about it. Ever since I discovered the Spiralizer (affiliate link) I’ve had fun experimenting with different ways to make zucchini noodles taste amazing. Zucchini Noodles with Tuna and Green Olives were born out of my love for Genova Tuna Packed in Olive Oil, something I’ve been buying from Amazon since I stopped finding it in my local stores. Yes, that’s seriously how much I love this tuna.

The flavors here were inspired by my Tuna Pasta Salad with Lemon, Green Olives, and Cucumbers. Of course if you absolutely don’t like tuna or green olives this recipe is not for you, but if you like those two things just a little, be open minded about this wonderful combination. And this recipe is a great way to enjoy those flavors in a low-carb dish.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• zucchini (about 8 inches long)
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• red onion
• Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
• Capers (affiliate link)
• green olives
• fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
• red pepper flakes (to taste)
• canned tuna, preferably Genova Tuna Packed in Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• whole garlic cloves
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• lemon slices for squeezing on at the table, optional

Do Zucchini Noodles need to be cooked?

Zucchini noodles can be eaten raw, but when I’m serving them with a heated sauce like this one I like to heat some olive oil, season the oil with sliced garlic (which is then removed) and then cook the zucchini quickly over high heat for just a few minutes. I think that method perfectly softens and seasons the zucchini, but you can also eat the tuna sauce over raw zucchini if you prefer.

What kind of tuna did I use?

I’m a huge fan of Genova Tuna Packed in Olive Oil (affiliate link) and I use it for all my recipes that call for canned tuna.

Want more low-carb recipes with canned tuna?

Check out Low-Carb and Keto Canned Tuna Recipes for more tasty ideas with canned tuna!

How to Make Zucchini Noodles with Tuna and Green Olives:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Use one of the three methods to make zucchini noodles to make noodles from 4 medium zucchini.
2. Prepare and/or measure the lemon juice, green olives, Capers (affiliate link), red onions, Minced Garlic (affiliate link), and red pepper flakes.
3. Drain two cans of Genova Tuna Packed in Olive Oil (affiliate link) or your favorite good-quality tuna packed in olive oil.
4. Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil and cook the onions for a couple of minutes.  
5. Add the garlic, capers, and olives, and cook one minute more.  Add the red pepper flakes and stir, then add lemon juice and cook another minute.
6. Then gently stir in the tuna. Keep warm while you cook the noodles.
7. Heat the rest of the olive oil over medium-high heat; add the garlic cloves and cook just until you can smell garlic; then remove garlic and discard.  
8. Add the zucchini noodles and stir-fry just until noodles start to soften and get some garlic flavor, about 2-3 minutes.
9. Season noodles with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
10. Put the noodles into a wide bowl and top with sauce.  
11. Serve with fresh lemon to squeeze on at the table.

More Zucchini Noodles to Try:

• Zucchini Noodles with Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce
• Mediterranean Zucchini Noodles
• Zucchini Noodle Mock Pasta Salad

Continue to Content

Print

Yield: 4 servings

Zucchini Noodles with Tuna and Green Olives

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes

Total Time 32 minutes

Zucchini Noodles with Tuna and Green Olives are a delicious low-carb dish that uses zucchini noodles with things you may have in the pantry!

Ingredients

• 4 medium zucchini (about 8 inches long)
• 4 T + 1 1/2 T olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 3 T capers
• 1/2 cup sliced green olives
• 4 T lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (to taste)
• two 5 oz. cans tuna packed in olive oil, drained (see notes)
• 6 cloves whole garlic
• salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• lemon slices for squeezing on at the table, optional

Instructions

1. Wash zucchini and cut off both ends.
2. Use a Spiralizer (affiliate link) or one of the three methods to make zucchini noodles to make noodles from the zucchini.
3. Mince the garlic, chop red onions, and slice green olives and measure the lemon  juice, capers, and red pepper flakes.
4. Drain two cans of tuna, preferably Genova Tuna Packed in Olive Oil (affiliate link).
5. Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the onions for a couple of minutes.
6. Add the garlic, capers, and olives, and cook one minute more.
7. Add the red pepper flakes and stir; add lemon juice and cook another minute.
8. Then gently stir in the tuna.  (Don’t stir too much; you want the tuna to stay chunky.)
9. Turn heat to low while you cook the noodles.
10. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in the largest non-stick frying pan you have.
11. Add the garlic cloves and cook just until you can smell garlic; then remove garlic cloves and discard.
12. Add the zucchini noodles and stir-fry just until noodles are barely starting to soften and get some garlic flavor, about 2-3 minutes. Don’t overcook.
13. Season noodles with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
14. To serve, put one-fourth of the cooked noodles into each bowl and top with one-fourth of the sauce.
15. Serve with fresh lemon to squeeze on at the table.

Notes

I prefer Genova Tuna Packed in Olive Oil (affiliate link) for any recipe that uses canned tuna!

This recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 263Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 789mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 24g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Low-Carb Zucchini Noodles with Tuna and Green Olives would be perfect for low-carb eating plans as well as any phase of the original South Beach Diet.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Spiralizer Recipes to find more recipes like this one.Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2015. It was last updated in 2023.

Share This: