Pesto Zoodles
Pesto Zoodles are incredibly, unexpectedly yummy and just happen to tick a ton of boxes! By “boxes” I mean, the food allergy friendly boxes. This recipe is gluten free, nut free, dairy free, soy free, AIP and paleo friendly. Just don’t put any parmesan cheese on top and all of those boxes are ticked! What is even better, is how flavorful & delicious this combo is! The fresh basil and garlic in the Basil Awesome Sauce coats the soft bite of the zucchini. It is so simple that all of the herbs and spices stand out. You may not want to breathe on anyone for the next 24 hours with all of the garlic! But I leave that up to you;-)
Did you say, “Zoodles?”
“Zoodles” are noodles that are created by cutting fresh zucchini into spirals. You can twirl the finished zoodles on your fork just like you would with regular pasta and they have a similar texture if they haven’t been overcooked. You can now find zucchini in the produce area of many groceries stores already cut into spirals. They can also be found in the frozen section, but end up with a mushier texture once they’ve been cooked. Turning your zucchini into noodles, or zoodles, yourself couldn’t be easier. However, it does take a special little cutting machine, so-to-speak. The one I use is the Paderno Spiralizer. There are many others on the market as well that cost less, but some require more muscle to get the work done.
Cook the Zoodles
The zoodles need to be heated more than they really need to be cooked. They are so thin that they cook or heat up very quickly. My preferred method is to heat a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil and toss them around for 2-3 minutes until they are heated through. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, then top with the Basil Awesome Sauce and they are ready to enjoy. My “lazy” method is to pop the zoodles in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Top them with sauce and you are ready to eat with one less pan to wash. I probably make them the “lazy” way more frequently, but they do taste better when heated in a pan with a little oil.
The Basil Awesome Sauce
Begin by putting the olive oil and whole garlic cloves in a smoothie blender cup or blender and process until smooth. Then add in the basil, salt and pepper and blend again. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. You can also add more olive oil if you prefer a thinner sauce. No need to heat the Basil Awesome Sauce, room temperature is a great way to serve it. In fact, heating it will cause the sauce to lose its vibrant green color. It can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 days. It will likely lose some of the color, but will still taste great.
More Like This
Check out Spaghetti Squash with Bacon and Caramelized Onion, Zoodles with Easy Tomato Basil Sauce, Cauliflower Fried Rice, Veggie Tacos with Coconut Lime Slaw and Spaghetti Squash with Asian Sauce. Mix any of those up by topping with my Meat Sauce instead. Or add my Easy Garlic Baked Shrimp, Perfect Thyme Chicken, Broiled Salmon with Creamy Basil Sauce or Lemon Basil Chicken on top of any of the zoodles, riced cauliflower or spaghetti squash to complete the meal! Also check out my Parsley Awesome Sauce, Cilantro Awesome Sauce and Mint Awesome Sauce for more tasty options!
Pesto Zoodles
Ingredients
- 3 zucchini
- olive oil for the pan
- salt & pepper to taste
“Pesto” or Basil Awesome Sauce
- 2-3 cloves garlic (2 should be good but if you really like garlic add more)
- ¼ cup olive oil (you can use up to 1/2 cup oil if you prefer a thinner sauce)
- 2 cups packed basil leaves
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
“Pesto” or Basil Awesome Sauce
- For very smooth garlic: In your blender or smoothie maker, blend the olive oil & garlic until the garlic is pureed almost smooth.
- Alternately, if you like small chunks of garlic, put all ingredients in the blender at once. Otherwise, add garlic puree and remaining ingredients to the blender and blend until the herbs are chopped up to the size you like.
- This usually takes 15-30 seconds. You may need to scrape down the sides to get all of the basil leaves chopped up.
To make the zoodles:
- Trim the stem off of your zucchini and turn them through your spiralizer.
- In a large frying pan, heat your olive oil until it coats the pan easily. Add your zoodles, season with salt and pepper. Just let them heat through for about 5 minutes, turning them often. You don’t want them mushy!
- Turn the heat off & then add the Basil “Pesto” & stir to get all of the zoodles covered with the “Pesto.” You are ready to serve! Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese on top if you wish. You can also add some chicken, beef or fish to make it a meal:-)
