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    Home » Main Dishes

    Zucchini Pasta Pesto (Paleo, Keto, Vegan)

    August 9, 2019 by Lisa Wells / 10 Comments

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    With fresh basil pesto, homegrown zucchini and tomatoes, this easy zucchini pasta pesto recipe is paleo, keto, Whole30, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.

    With fresh basil pesto, homegrown zucchini and tomatoes, this quick and easy zucchini pasta pesto is paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free. | cookeatpaleo.com

    The basil is still going strong in my container garden. I had more than enough left to make another batch of pesto with grill roasted garlic. And fresh basil pesto goes so well with homegrown zucchini and tomatoes.

    Turning zucchini into noodles for this quick and easy zucchini pasta pesto makes it gluten-free, dairy-free, and perfect for summer. It's a great way to use all that summer zucchini!

    This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. You can read our full disclosure policy here.

    How to make zucchini noodles with pesto

    The key to this recipe is making sure you take the time to drain the zucchini noodles. I skip this step for some recipes, but for this dish it's important to drain the zucchini before tossing it with the pesto. This keeps your pesto sauce from getting to watery.

    Spiralize the zucchini pasta first and let it drain while you make the pesto. These days you can find zucchini noodles premade in the produce section of most grocery stores. But spiralizing the zucchini takes just minutes if you have a good spiralizer. (This is the one I use. I've had it for years and it is super easy to use!)

    All you need to do is cut the ends off the zucchini and place it in the spiralizer. Do you need to peel the zucchini first? That's completely up to you. If you peel it, your zucchini noodles will look more like regular pasta, but it's really not necessary.

    With fresh basil pesto, homegrown zucchini and tomatoes, this quick and easy zucchini pasta pesto is paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free. | cookeatpaleo.com

    The pesto is also no-cook and takes just minutes in the food processor. I use my dairy-free basil pesto sauce and cherry tomatoes to make this simple zucchini pasta. It's one of my go-to spiralizer recipes and it's perfect with fresh summer produce.

    This zucchini pasta pesto is great on its own, but you can always top it with grilled chicken, shrimp, or your favorite protein.

    Try it with some grilled or roasted vegetables like red pepper, portabella mushrooms, and sweet onions. Pretty much anything would taste good with fresh basil and roasted garlic.

    More easy paleo dinner recipes

    Zucchini Pasta Pesto
    Print Recipe

    Zucchini Pasta Pesto

    This quick and easy zucchini pasta pesto is the perfect way to use fresh summer zucchini, basil and tomatoes.
    Prep Time25 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Quick and Easy
    Diet: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Keto, Low Carb, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole30
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 220kcal
    Author: Lisa Wells

    Ingredients

    • 2 large zucchini
    • sea salt
    • 1 cup cherry tomatoes

    For the pesto

    • ⅓ cup walnuts
    • 1 head roasted garlic
    • 2 cups fresh basil leaves plus a few leaves for garnish
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice ¼ cup
    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

    Instructions

    • Spiralize or julienne the zucchini to make zucchini noodles. Lightly salt and drain zucchini in a colander for 20 minutes to remove excess liquid.
    • Toast walnuts in 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool to room temperature.
    • Squeeze roasted garlic cloves into a food processor and add cooled walnuts and a good pinch of sea salt. Pulse until mixture resembles large crumbs.
    • Add basil leaves and lemon juice. With processor running, stream in olive oil. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process until just combined. Add additional sea salt to taste.
    • In a large bowl, toss the drained zucchini noodles and tomatoes with pesto until well combined. Garnish with fresh basil.

    Notes

    Recommended for this recipe:
    • veggie spiralizer
    • colander
    • pasta tongs

    Nutrition

    Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 443mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1011IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg

    More zucchini noodle recipes

    • Garlic Roasted Shrimp with Zucchini Pasta
    • Crock Pot Turkey Bolognese Sauce with Zucchini Noodles
    • 10 Easy Zucchini Pasta and Veggie Noodle Recipes

    Zucchini Pasta Pesto (Paleo, Keto, Vegan)
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kristen J

      September 12, 2013 at 9:49 pm

      So is this served cold then? You don't cook it? Interesting!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        September 12, 2013 at 10:13 pm

        Thank you Kristen! Cooking is entirely optional. I serve this raw and at room temperature.

        Reply
    2. snixykitchen

      September 13, 2013 at 2:38 am

      I've now officially spent the past 40 minutes researching the best spiral cutter for making zucchini noodles! I'm also considering purchasing the julienne attachment for my cuisinart food processor. Dying to make this!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        September 14, 2013 at 4:38 pm

        I love my Paderno spiral vegetable slicer. Once you start spiralizing zucchini noodles you'll be hooked. They are so easy and work with so many sauces!

        Reply
    3. Jennifer

      September 16, 2013 at 11:14 am

      This looks amazing!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        September 16, 2013 at 12:41 pm

        Thank you Jennifer!

        Reply
    4. madison

      January 29, 2018 at 11:52 am

      Simply looks tempting! I have to try this and I will try to put shrimps on top. Happy and healthy Tummy!

      Reply
    5. Mary

      February 02, 2018 at 5:41 pm

      I sautéed the zucchini spirals in some grapeseed oil. Added some coarse pepper and roasted garlic powder. When the spirals were al dente, I turned off heat, added pesto and cherry tomatoes and sprinkled with sliced fresh basil and a dash of parmesan cheese.

      Reply
    6. Janice

      August 24, 2018 at 4:02 pm

      Do you cook the zucchini? When... before or after you spiralize it? For how long.. .or do you eat it raw? Would you please email me so I can be sure to get this response? I am in the middle of cooking it right now!!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        August 26, 2018 at 6:11 pm

        Hi Janice, spiralize the zucchini while it's raw. After it's spiralized, you can either cook it or eat it raw - it's completely up to you. Here's a post on how to make zucchini noodles.

        Reply

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