Basil Pesto Zoodles
This easy basil pesto zoodles recipe is loaded with healthy fiber, vitamins and minerals, and easily transforms from a vegetarian dish to a vegan dish if you replace the parmesan cheese with some nutritional yeast to give it a cheesy, umami flavor.
Zoodles are short for zucchini noodles, made by using a spiralizer on a zucchini.
If you don’t have a spiralizer (although we highly recommend one), you can usually pick zoodles up at your local grocery store.
This is a great end of summer dish when we’re experiencing a bumper crop of zucchini and basil and want to use them!
Make sure you don’t overcook the zoodles, just a quick blanch will do so it retains the springy integrity.
Make sure you get organic ingredients so you don’t accidentally ingest pesticides and herbicides.
If you find you made too much pesto, you can jar it for the week or freeze it and it’ll last up to 3 months.
Ingredients
- 2 cups organic zoodles
- 2 cups organic basil
- 1 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup organic pine nuts
- ¼ cup organic grass-fed parmesan cheese (optional)
- 1 clove organic garlic
- 1 tablespoon organic lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Water
- In a pot of boiling water, blanch the zoodles, for about 1 minute and strain.
- In a blender, combine basil, olive oil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese if using, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until desired courseness has been achieved.
- Toss zoodles in pesto and serve.