Zucchini noodles tossed together in a creamy avocado pesto for a delicious healthy weeknight dinner that is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan and can be easily made in under 20 minutes!
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Happy Meatless Monday!
No I’m not a vegetarian, but sometimes I just love having a day where the only thing I fill my body with are fresh fruits and veggies, especially after a big Super Bowl weekend! Yup. My diet yesterday pretty much consisted of beer, chicken wings, cheesy dips and pizza…..uh I think my body is screaming for a serious detox, but you know what, I enjoyed every second of it! Especially the commercials. And Beyonce. I mean the Super Bowl only comes once a year so I totally welcome the little, err BIG splurge that comes with it!
This recipe is perfect because it’s super filling, crazy healthy and the best part is you feel like you’re eating a big bowl of pasta! It’s also incredibly quick and easy to make too (literally under 20 minutes), especially the creamy avocado pesto that’s gets drizzled over the top. No need to heat up either!
See how easy that is??
Just throw everything into your food processor
I also love zucchini noodles because they don’t take that long to cook either. Now zucchinis are made up of 95% water – crazy right?! – so it’s important to try and get out any excess water so you don’t have soggy noodles. The easiest way for me to do this is by putting them in a colander in the sink, sprinkling them with a little salt and letting the water drain out. Then I just pat them dry with a paper towel and they’re crisp and ready to go!
Now this dish honestly tastes just as good cold too, especially if you like crisp raw veggies, but since I prefer my zoodles having that “pasta-like” feel, I simply sauteed mine for a few minutes on the stove and then just tossed them with the pesto sauce. Super simple!
Just a quick note: avocado tends to brown easily so if you do want to enjoy any leftovers, make sure to wrap tightly with plastic wrap (making sure the plastic wrap is pressed up against the pesto sauce) to prevent from browning. This tastes best served immediately though – enjoy!
Zucchini Noodles with Creamy Avocado Pesto
Ingredients
- 6 large zucchini, spiralized
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
For the Sauce:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Spiralize your zucchini and set aside on paper towels so that any excess water is soaked up.
- In a food processor, add avocados, basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice and sea salt and pulse until finely chopped. Then with the motor still running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified and creamy.
- Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat then add zucchini noodles, cooking for about 1 to 2 minutes until tender.
- Add zucchini noodles to a large bowl and toss with avocado pesto. Season with cracked pepper and a little Parmesan, serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I had a mandoline and ended up in emergency where they tell me they get many mandoline “causalities” . Then I bought a crank spiralizer. For the life of me I couldn’t keep that zucchini straight enough to make zoodles. I finally gave in and bought a Ninja. I should have saved my money on the first 2 purchases and went straight to the Ninja. Perfect zoodles in seconds and all fingers present and accounted for. To think how many Ninja’s I could have bought just for the ER bill. I loved the recipe personally but hubby (fussy fussy man child) said it was too creamy and refused to eat it. He does like zoodles with shrimp and regular pesto from a jar however. “It’s a texture thing”.
Made this tonight. I loved it but my kids weren’t so keen on the zucchini (although they liked the sauce). I might try the sauce with pasta for them next time… But I’ll stick with the zoodles 🙂
Amazing recipe, so easy and such great flavor. I will keep in in my “go to” file.
I used a mandolin and it made the noodles more like Angel hair. Added chicken and sundried tomatoes and a little grated parmesan to the sauce. Incredible!
Hi!
What tool do I need to make the noodles from the zucchinis?
Thank you!
// Nina
I use a spiralizer! Here’s one that I own: https://amzn.to/2nDWoGk
Amazing! A friend gave me a spiralizer and I have been learning new recipes to make with it; this one is so cool!
Hi Kelly wanted to say what a fabulous idea to make zucchini noodles with avocado pesto. i wanted to ask if there is an different kind of nuts i can use i cant find any at my local grocery store. bth love your recipes simple but packed with flavor my mom, dad, and brother love your recipes.have a blessed day!
If these are made with avocados – do it store and save well for next day consumption or does it turn brown?
This Creamy Avocado Zucchini Pesto recipe was sooooooooo easy and delicious. I bought the zucchini already spirialed. Such a lovely girls luncheon or family dinner. I highly recommend this easy recipe!!!
I found this on pinterest yesterday, 3/9/18, and thought it sounded amazing. IT WAS!!! Both my husband and I loved it and I’m already looking forward to making it again. Your directions were perfect and I love the simplicity of throwing all those ingredients in the food processor. Thank you for a delicious recipe and making my first zoodle experience so easy!!
So glad you enjoyed this Pamela! 🙂