Zucchini noodles tossed together in a creamy avocado pesto for a delicious healthy weeknight dinnerthat is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan and can be easily made in under 20 minutes!
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- Zucchini Noodles with Creamy Avocado Pesto Recipe
Happy Meatless Monday!
No I’m not a vegetarian, but sometimes I justlove having a daywhere 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
and blend away! I think I could literally eat that whole thing too in one sitting, just hand me a spoon. To make the zucchini noodles, all you need is a spiralizer
(or you could julienne them, but seriously who has time for that??) I highly recommend investing in a spiralizerbecause you’ll really get so much use out of it, not just zucchini, and you can get one at around $30 or less!
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
Zucchini noodles tossed together in a creamy avocado pesto for a delicious healthy weeknight dinnerthat is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan and can be easily made in under 20 minutes!
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 2 minutes mins
Total Time: 17 minutes mins
Servings: 8
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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
Serving: 1/8th of recipe | Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.7g | Protein: 4.3g | Fat: 15.7g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Sodium: 167.8mg | Fiber: 4.9g | Sugar: 6.4g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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As a self-proclaimed foodie and fitness enthusiast, I have a passion for cooking and a huge desire to show that living a healthy lifestyle can actually be easy and fun! Feel free to use the meal guide above to find your new favorite meal ideas or the dietary guides to the right to narrow things down even more!
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