Zucchini Noodles Tossed in a Cilantro-Avocado Pesto
When all of the food trends unite, it really is something quite magical. Was this my goal here? No, I promise. Somehow, all of my cravings just ended up in a single bowl—and it truly was (is) magical.
Eating healthy should still be delicious.
Okay, so maybe not magical, but delicious? You better believe it. First, you've got to start with a spiralizer (If you haven't jumped on the trend yet, you really, really should). They are inexpensive and so fun! You can turn just about anything into a "noodle" like potatoes, squash, carrots, apples, and more.
A couple of us here at Cooking Light have really jumped on this trend, including our Executive Food Editor, Ann Pittman. She's recently "joined the spiralizer craze" and is creating beautiful dishes including these delicious Spiralizer Hash Browns.
While we've been loving all of these fun noodles, our focus this summer has really been on zucchini noodles (zoodles!). We lightened up Chicken Parmesan in our September issue with quick-cooking zoodles, and now we're enjoying them raw, tossed in a creamy cilantro-avocado pesto sauce.
Zucchini Noodles with Cilantro-Avocado PestoI like to think of this as a lighter play on pasta salad. Here's a basic recipe, but you can add any veggies you like.
5 zucchini2 cups cherry tomatoes (optional)1 avocado1/2 cup pecans2 cloves garlic1 handful cilantro1 handful parsley2 tablespoons lime juicea dash of kosher salta dash of black pepper ground
Step 1: Turn your zucchini into noodles. I chose the medium setting, but you can make them thinner or thicker by choosing a different blade. See the tutorial.
Step 2: Make your sauce by combining the last 6 ingredients in a food processor, then pulse on high until smooth.
Step 3: Each person will get a zucchini (turned into noodles) for themselves. Toss 1/5 of the dressing on the noodles, stir, and top with cherry tomatoes or other veggies of your choosing. Then, enjoy!
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