Fresh basil puréed with olive oil, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese makes for a delicious homemade pesto sauce atop healthy zucchini noodles.
No, you do not have to give up the pasta. We all love a good pasta night. Eating healthy doesn't mean you can't have your favorite pasta sauces. One of the biggest downsides to pasta is that it's carb-heavy. A huge food trend that hit about 5 years ago to combat this problem was zucchini noodles, or, zoodles. Not only are they a great pasta replacement to lower carb intake, but they are high in antioxidants that promote heart health. And they taste amazing mixed with this homemade pesto sauce. Get your veggies and love them too with these impossibly delicious Sun-Dried Tomato & Pesto Zoodles!
Sun-Dried Tomato & Pesto Zoodles
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS
4 small zucchini
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut the ends of each zucchini. Using a mandoline, slice the zucchini into noodles. Put aside.
2. In a food processor or blender, pulse the basil and garlic into thick pieces. Gradually add the olive oil and continue to blend. Scrape down the sides, and blend until the mixture is smooth. Blend in the lemon juice, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Pulse until mixture is smooth.
3. Dump the pesto sauce into a mixing bowl with the zucchini noodles. Mix until the noodles are well coated. Add in the sun dried tomatoes and mix again.
4. In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat the zucchini noodles pesto mixture. Sauté until noodles are soft and warm. (This should only take a few minutes.) Enjoy!