A heatwave has been finding its way all across the country and back for what seem to be weeks now so this light, summery and super healthy Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto is a great meal when you just don’t want to spend time in front of a stove cooking.
I came across the recipe on Simply Healthy Kitchen when I was searching for something interesting to try after I got myself a vegetable spiral cutter. I loved the mix of avocado, basil, walnuts and peas to make the pesto and thought it to be super health and easy but still very tasty. The pesto is also versatile enough to serve piled on to bruschetta or as a dip for fresh veggies.
You can buy the zucchini noodles at some of the retailers or make your own with a spiral cutter. They cook in just a few minutes (if you want to cook them but keep them raw for added texture) and if you are cutting out carbs they can easily replace pasta. Top the warm noodles with a bolognaise sauce and you won’t miss regular pasta at all.
I find that larger zucchinis work better than the smaller ones so look out for those. The inner bit of the zucchini is left over after you used the spiralizer and I added that to the pesto to avoid any wastage. Serve without the cheese for a 100% vegan meal.

Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto
Ingredients
- 400 g zucchini "noodles"
- ½ cup torn basil leaves
- flesh of 1 ripe avocado
- 1 cup peas fresh or frozen plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup walnuts chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic mashed
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- black pepper to taste
- crumbled feta or grated parmesan for topping remove for a vegan meal
- chopped walnuts for garnish optional
Instructions
- If you are using frozen peas, quickly blanch them in boiling water and then refresh the peas in iced water
- Add the basil leaves, avocado, peas, walnuts, lemon juice, garlic and salt to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped
- Add the oil and continue to process until you have a thick paste
- Add fresh ground pepper to taste, check the seasoning and add more salt or lemon juice to taste
- Gently mix the zucchini noodles with the pesto until all the noodles are coated
- Top with crumbled feta or parmesan cheese and chopped walnuts
- Serve immediately
Hope you enjoy!
Our next Food Photograph Workshop is on the 21st of February. You can get more details here and do let me know if you would like to book your spot for a fun, creative day out of the city.
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Beryl
Jan 18, 2016
Your Zucchini Noodles recipe is divine. Absolutely divine on these hot days. Will be making it next time for my guests.
heinstirred
Jan 18, 2016
Fantastic Beryl – so happy you like it!