no-cook zucchini noodles with pesto
These low-carb spiralized zucchini noodles with pesto is a no-cook vegetarian meal you’ll just love this summer! The pesto adds so much flavor, yet the garden fresh noodles and tomatoes are super light. And the best part is you don’t even have to turn on the stove! (That and that this recipe is low-carb and vegetarian!)
I originally shared this recipe on June 28th, 2016. I have updated some of the text and added step-by-step photos and a video today. This post contains affiliate links.
When it is really hot out, the last thing you want is to heat the house up even more by turning on the oven or stove. Amiright or amiright? So these no-cook zoodles (zucchini noodles) are just the thing to make your bellies and taste buds happy on hot summer evenings.
We’ve been staying at the lake, and I have been working from there. I’ve started taking my photos on the porch, the overhang and bushes are my light control. That’s legit, right?
The weather in Vermont is always a fickle beast. At this time of year, one day it’s 90 and humid, the next we are in sweatshirts. Lately it’s been hotttttt.
But I’ll be honest, these zucchini noodles with pesto were such a hit with me, Jase and the girls that I am planning to make it all the time no matter the temp. We devoured the whole batch in 7.5 seconds. That’s why I’ll just tell you right now, it is not a bad idea to plan on doubling the recipe.
How to Make Zucchini Noodles
No matter what you have in your kitchen, you should be able to easily make a batch of zucchini noodles from scratch. (You can also buy them pre-made in some stores, but making them yourself is much cheaper!). A few easy ways to make zucchini noodles are:
With a countertop spiralizer
- The larger countertop spiralizers are the fastest way to make zoodles, and you can choose from a few blade options to make your zoodles whatever shape you want. I have this one.
- The only downside to countertop spiralizers is that they take up a lot of storage space and they can be a little expensive.
- To make zucchini noodles with a countertop spiralizer, simply cut the ends of the zucchini off, attach it to the machine, and crank out those zoodles!
With a handheld spiralizer
- I’ve seen a few different handheld spiralizers at places like Target and Bed, Bath, & Beyond. They’re much smaller than the countertop ones, so they don’t require a large amount of kitchen space to store them.
- I haven’t ever had much luck with mine, and my mom hated hers so much she declared it was “bogus” (that’s a direct quote) and threw hers out! That’s said, Food and Wine has reviewed the latest spiralizing gadgets and they do recommend them for folks who don’t plan to use theirs much.
- To make zucchini noodles with a handheld spiralizer, you’ll need to cut off one end of the zucchini and then place it in the spiralizer.
- Then, twist the zucchini around by hand, pushing slightly on the veg to keep it close to the spiralizer blades.
- Keep in mind that you’re doing the twisting by hand so this will take a while. Thankfully zucchini is soft so it won’t be as bad as a hard veggie like a sweet potato.
With a Mandoline
- I love my Oxo Mandoline and use it for julienne cut veggies. They won’t be as curly but have a very similar texture. I use it for my cucumber and Napa cabbage slaw too and it works great!
- To cut the zucchini into noodles, cut of the blossom and stem ends of the zucchinis. Then making sure your mandoline is firmly in place with good grip, hold the zucchini against the blade lengthwise. Holding it lengthwise will ensure the longest noodles.
- If you are nervous about cutting yourself you can get a special cut resistant food safe glove to protect your hands.
With a vegetable peeler
- Don’t have any fancy equipment? No problem! Whip out your trusty vegetable peeler and start shaving off slices of zucchini. That’s what I did for my Zucchini Ribbon Salad recipe. It works great!
- If you want a thinner zoodles, use a knife to cut the wide, flat zucchini noodles into smaller strips.
How To Make Zucchini Noodles with Pesto
Soften the Zucchini Noodles with Salt
- To soften the zucchini noodles all you have to do is set them into a colander in the sink or over a bowl.
- Sprinkle them with salt and toss them to let them get coated in the salt.
- Then leave them in the colander to drain for ten minutes. The salt will wilt the zucchini and make them softer (more like the texture of al dente cooked spaghetti.)
- To get rid of the excess salt, run cool water over the zucchini noodles to rinse away the salt.
- Then just shake the colander to get the excess water out and give the zucchini a good squeeze to get rid of the water.
Mix The Zoodles with Oil and Pesto
- Since the pesto is thick, you’ll want to thin it out a bit without diluting the flavor too much. (I used my 5 Minute classic basil homemade pesto recipe.)
- Drizzle a tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the zucchini noodles and toss to coat.
- Add on the pesto and then use kitchen tongs to work the pesto into the zoodles.
Top with Tomatoes, Parmesan and Salt
- To finish the dish add on fresh chopped tomatoes. In these photos you can see I used red and yellow cherry tomatoes but I also like to use a diced slicing tomato such as a beefsteak or brandywine.
- Add on Parmesan for a savory touch.
- Finish with coarse Maldon Celtic Sea Salt Flakes for a crunchy savory finish.
Steps To Make This No Cook Zoodles Recipe
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- 1. Cut zucchini into noodles with a spiralizer, mandoline or with a vegetable peeler.
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- 2. Sprinkle the zucchini noodles with salt and let sit in a colander to drain for 10 minutes.
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- 3. Rinse them and then squeeze out excess moisture.
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- 4. Transfer the zoodles to a bowl and add on oil. Toss to coat. Dot with pesto. Toss to coat.
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- 5. Transfer the zucchini noodles to a serving dish. Top the noodles with chopped tomatoes.
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- 6. Top with Parmesan and coarse salt before serving.
How to Make this Recipe Ahead
The great thing about this zucchini noodles recipe is that you can make the components for it up to five days in advance. You should store the pesto and tomatoes separately (if you don’t, your zoodles will get soggy!).
- Keep the pesto in a jar. The top layer will darken, but under the surface it will stay nice and green.
- Once you make the zucchini noodles, do not toss them with salt. (Keeping them as dry as possible will actually help them stay fresh longer.) Then them into an airtight container or ziplock bag and keep it in the fridge.
Keep in mind that Zucchini noodles shouldn’t be frozen.
What To Serve With Zucchini Noodles with Pesto
This no-cook recipe is essentially your main course and vegetable side rolled into one amazing dish.
- But if you want to bulk up this meal a bit, you can top it with sliced grilled chicken or grilled pork tenderloin or another protein of your choice.
- To make a meal of this with other veggie centric sides, make a batch of grilled corn with lime butter and some Mediterranean Quinoa Salad.
- If you have leftover Sourdough bread, slice it, brush olive oil on it, and grill it. It’s one of my faves!
- Or just follow this meal with a piece of fresh fruit and enjoy not having to cook a single thing!
More Low-Carb Recipes:
One of my most popular low carb recipes to date is this recipe for Mexican Low Carb Stuffed Peppers.
This easy 20 minute Turkey with Peppers is also a low carb winner!
This was a runaway hit last fall: Keto Chicken Soup.
At this time of year I love making batches of this Chimichurri Chicken Salad for high protein lunches.
If you like zucchini then you’ll love this recipe for Low Carb Grilled Stuffed Summer Squash. What’s not to love about tender squash and melty cheddar cheese?!
This Garlic Mashed Broccoli is a fun alternative to cauliflower rice or mashed cauliflower. The garlic is killer!
I’ve gotten a lot of really good feedback about this Healthy Chicken Paprika Skillet with Zoodles.
Thanks so much for reading. If you make this recipe for Zucchini Noodles, please come back and leave a star rating and review.
Happy Cooking!
~Katie
Print
no-cook zucchini noodles with pesto
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
These no-cook zucchini noodles with pesto are such a breeze to whip up on a hot summer night. They are low-carb, vegetarian and primal friendly!
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup pesto
- 1 large ripe heirloom tomato, chopped or 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- freshly ground parmesan to taste
- Coarse Salt, preferably Maldon Celtic Sea Salt Flakes
Instructions
- Cut zucchini into long strands with a spiralizer.
- Set noodles in a large colander. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt on top and toss to coat. Let sit 10 minutes.
- Rinse and drain well, gently squeezing out the excess moisture.
- Transfer the zucchini to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil; toss to coat.
- Add pesto and toss to coat evenly.
- Divide zucchini among 4 pasta bowls. Top with a scattering of chopped tomato. Top with Parmesan, pepper and Morton sea salt.
Notes
Make Ahead Notes
You can make the components for it up to five days in advance. Keep the zoodles separate or they will get get too watery.
- Keep the pesto in a jar. The top layer will darken, but under the surface it will stay nice and green.
- Once you make the zucchini noodles, do not toss them with salt. (Keeping them as dry as possible will actually help them stay fresh longer.) Then them into an airtight container or ziplock bag and keep it in the fridge.
- Cut the tomato at the last minute.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 side dish servings or 2 entrees
- Calories: 242
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 583 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
YUM! I’m so used to just steaming my zoodles that I forgot how delightful they can be raw — AND, let me tell you, in Texas not turning on the oven or stove is a big win!
★★★★★
This just screams summer. Now I know what to do with all my zucchini!
★★★★★