Zucchini Noodles are a delicious homemade pasta dish that is quick, simple, and healthy to eat for dinner.
I love this dish so much that I made it practically every night for the last few weeks. Pistachio pesto is an amazing flavor and I would highly recommend trying it out. I enjoy eating pistachios because they are hearty and tasty but I rarely cook with them. Mixing in crushed pistachios with a basil-parm mixture enhances the pesto flavors. I mixed the zucchini noodles with pasta because I like to have a mix of noodles.
How to make Zucchini Noodles?
To make a classic zucchini noodle you need a spiralizer that will create that beautiful spaghetti-like noodle from zucchinis. If you have a spiralizer, all you need to do is insert the whole zucchini and twist until you have created a bowl of noodles. I am often in a rush when I am cooking dinner so I like to buy pre-cut zucchini noodles at the supermarket.
A few suggestions:
Make it vegan - this dish can be made vegan by removing the parmesan cheese from the pesto. I have made the pistachio pesto without any cheese and it still tastes delish and refreshing from all the herbs. You can leave out the ricotta cheese on top and add roasted pistachios with honey and olive.
It is Gluten Free - this dish is gluten-free with only zucchini noodles as your pasta. This is a great healthier option to make a heavy pasta dinner. To be honest, I am addicted to pasta so I mix pasta noodles with zucchini noodles.
Freeze the pesto - you can pre-make a ton of pistachio pesto and freeze the pesto in ice cubes for a later date. I love this trick and I will make a large mixture of pesto during the summer to freeze for later. You never know when you will be craving pesto and don't have any herbs on hand!
Zucchini Noodles with Pistachio Pesto
Serving Size: 4
Total Time: 30 minutes
Source: Recipe adapted from A Modern Way to Cook by Anna Jones.
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 lemons
a pinch of dried chile flakes
1 teaspoon honey
6 tablespoons of pistachios
olive oil
handful of mint
handful of basil
salt
4 large zucchini, spiraled (I use pre-bought zucchini noodles)
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil a pot of water.
Step 2: Add ricotta into a baking dish. Grate zest of 1 lemon, drizzle honey and dried chile flakes onto ricotta. Put the ricotta mixture into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until caramelized on top.
Step 3: Put the pistachios into the oven and toast for 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool.
Step 4: Add toasted pistachios, mint, basil, lemon zest (1/2 lemon), 1/2 of a lemon juiced and, a pinch of salt. Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of water to a blender. Puree until smooth. I like my pesto a little chunky so it depends on personal preference. Optional: You can add some parmesan cheese to the pesto as well.
Step 5: To assemble the dish, boil the zucchini noodles for 3-4 minutes, until soft. You can also mix in pasta noodles or spaghetti squash. Drain the noodles and add pesto and ricotta cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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