Pesto Zoodles with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Pesto Zoodles with Tomatoes and Mozzarella are zucchini noodles tossed in homemade pesto sauce for a healthy, delicious, gluten free meal!

I created these Pesto Zoodles with Tomatoes and Mozzarella a while back in anticipation of my zucchini plant that’s about to explode in my garden.  If you grow zucchini, you know what I’m talking about!  

It’s the first year I’ve had a summer garden, so when I was picking up my plants at the nursery a few months ago, I walked up to an employee holding a small zucchini plant.  I asked if I needed more than one plant, and he said “oh no…that’s more than you need right there”.  

Was he ever right.  The zucchini plant was just a tiny plant, and now it’s so huge it’s trying to edge out my red bell pepper plant.

It better not mess with my bell peppers!

My zucchini really is taking off, so I have plenty of zoodles in my future.  I love spiralizing veggies — there’s just something fun about veggie noodles whether it’s cucumber, sweet potato, or squash.  

Get those kids to help you spiralize those veggies, and they may even get on board the veggie noodle train, too.

How could they possibly resist?

Pesto zoodles

If you’ve never tried zucchini noodles before, you may wonder how they can be a satisfying replacement for pasta.  Surprisingly, they are! 

Zoodles are hearty, but the best part is that they don’t weigh you down afterward.  You know how sluggish you feel after a carbohydrate overload?   You definitely won’t experience that with zoodles, friends.

As much as love zucchini noodles with a hearty red sauce like this meat sauce or turkey sausage pasta sauce, this pesto zoodle recipe is so fresh and light!  

I’ve told you time and time again that homemade pesto sauce is staple in my kitchen.  I almost always have some in the fridge or freezer.

You can make the pesto with basil, arugula, or whatever you like, or use store bought in a pinch.  See my post How to make pesto sauce for all the tips, or use the following recipes:

Basil pesto sauce

Spinach pesto

How to make pesto zoodles

• Spiralize your zucchini, then heat the olive in oil in a large sauté pan.  Add the zoodles with salt and pepper to taste, and cook for 2 minutes until softened.
• Add the pesto and oven roasted tomatoes, and cook just until heated through.
• Toss with the fresh mozzarella balls, top with toasted walnuts, and serve warm. 

Recipe tips and substitutions

• I had some of my oven roasted cherry tomatoes  in the fridge since they’ve become a staple lately, so I tossed some of those into my pesto zoodles.  Substitute with fresh cherry tomatoes or sun dried tomatoes if you prefer.
• Make the pesto sauce and spiralize the zucchini in advance, or use store bought pesto or pre-made zoodles to save time.
• Add rotisserie or grilled chicken for a protein packed meal!

Try my other gluten free recipes.

Hungry for more zoodles?  Try these zoodle recipes:

Paleo turkey meatballs with zoodles

Thai peanut zucchini noodles

Zoodles with bolognese

Kale Pesto Zucchini Noodles with Salmon by Kristine’s Kitchen

Pesto Zoodles with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Pesto Zoodles with Tomatoes and Mozzarella are zucchini noodles tossed in homemade pesto sauce for a healthy, delicious, gluten free meal!

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Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• salt, to taste
• 1/4 cup Spinach Walnut Pesto
• 1/2 cup Easy Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella balls, halved
• 1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces

Instructions

1. Cut the top and bottoms off of your zucchini and spiralize per manufacturer's instructions.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the zucchini noodles and salt to taste, and saute for 3-5 minutes until softened. Place in a large bowl.
3. Add the pesto sauce, adding more to coat the zoodles if necessary, along with the tomatoes and mozzarella. Serve topped with the toasted walnuts, and enjoy!

Notes

• Prep time includes making the pesto and oven roasted cherry tomatoes, which can be made in advance to make this meal go even quicker!
• This recipe can be scaled to feed more people easily -- I normally figure 1 medium zucchini per person.
• To toast walnuts, place walnut pieces on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 345 Total Fat: 27g Saturated Fat: 8g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 17g Cholesterol: 36mg Sodium: 649mg Carbohydrates: 13g Fiber: 5g Sugar: 5g Protein: 18g

Nutrition information is mean to be an estimate only. The numbers will vary based on the quantity consumed, brands used and substitutions that are made.

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