Pesto Zucchini Noodles Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Pesto Zucchini Noodles Recipe

A healthy alternative to my favorite pesto pasta recipe. Zucchini noodles are covered in homemade basil pesto and topped with fresh mozzarella and sauteed tomatoes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Shawn Williams

Ingredients

1 boneless skinless chicken breast chopped (optional)
1 pound zucchini noodles 2 medium zucchinis, spiralized
10 sungold or cherry tomatoes halved
8- ounce ball of fresh mozzarella cubed
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Homemade Pesto

3 loosely packed cups of basil leaves about 2.5 ounces
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For the pesto

Combine all pesto ingredients except for the olive oil in a food processor or blender. Blend/pulse until mixed and smooth.
With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until combined. Pesto should not be too soupy or fine. Set aside. Can be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge in a tightly sealed container. Cover with plastic wrap seated directly on top of the surface to prevent browning/air exposure.

For the chicken and zucchini

In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. If adding chicken, sauté until fully cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Season all over with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes. Set chicken/tomatoes aside on a plate and remove excess moisture on the pan if any.
Add a splash of more oil along with zucchini noodles. Heat through until warm and just tender. Do not overcook or they will get soggy. 1-2 minutes is all you need.
Return chicken/tomatoes to the pan and turn off the heat. Toss the dish with pesto until fully coated.
Serve in bowls topped with fresh chopped mozzarella.

Notes

If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a standard blender or single-serve blender instead. Just don’t blend the ingredients too aggressively or it will turn into a creamy paste. If using a single-serve blender, combine all ingredients together and pulse until smooth. Shaking the containing in between blends will help to mix the ingredients if they get "stuck."

Nutrition