I think I might be a bit ahead of schedule for this recipe in terms of seasonality, but I’m eagerly awaiting summer and as such my diet has basically consisted of all things summery for the last month.

One of my staples has been zucchini noodles.

You might recognize this particular dish from my latest What I Eat in a Day video; they’re the avocado pesto zucchini noodles that you guys have all been asking about 😉

This dish was inspired by two things: the abundance of avocados I had a few weeks ago and the strong draw I’ve been having towards light, bright and summery dishes.

It checks all those boxes and more!

The dish requires just a few simple ingredients, takes under 10 minutes to make and easily serves a hungry crowd. I brought it over to my cousin’s house for a backyard potluck dinner and it was gobbled up by everyone.

Just as the recipe name says, the base of the pesto sauce is avocado. You blend that up in a food processor with basil, lemon, garlic and hemp seeds and you’re done.

All that’s left once the pesto is made is to toss if over your zucchini noodles and enjoy!

Now, one final note before we dive head first into this bowl of pesto-y zoodles. Many of you have asked me how I prepare my zucchini noodles and honestly, my favorite way is to actually have them raw.

While I don’t really mind cooked zoodles, I find that they aren’t quite as satisfying when they’re cooked. I like the crunch of the raw noodles. That being said, if you’re not a fan of raw zucchini, by all means feel free to cook your zoodles.

To cook them, I would suggest just quickly sautéing them in a pan for about 2 – 3 minutes and then stirring in your pesto. Don’t overcook them though because they can get a little mushy on you, especially against a fairy “heavy” sauce.

But regardless of how you like to prepare your zucchini noodles, I have a feeling this is going to be a summer staple for you! You also might try a variation with my Sun Dried Tomato Pesto.

So your turn…

How do you like to make your zucchini noddles? If you have a favorite sauce or topping, let me know in the comments below so I can try them too! And if you end up giving this recipe a try, would love for you to comment back and let us know what you think by leaving a review/rating 🙂

xo Alyssa

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Raw Avocado Pesto Zucchini Noodles

This dish was inspired by two things: the abundance of avocados I had a few weeks ago and the strong draw I’ve been having towards light, bright and summery dishes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword avocado, noodle, zucchini

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 280 kcal

Author Alyssa Rimmer

Ingredients

• 3 - 4 medium zucchinis
• 2 avoados
• 2 cups fresh basil
• 3 - 4 cloves garlic
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds or pine nuts
• Sea salt + red pepper flakes to taste

Instructions

1. Spiralize the zucchinis and break/cut the noodles into smaller strands. Put them in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Add remaining ingredients to a food processor and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Pour pesto over zucchini noodles and toss to combine.
3. Serve immediately or store in the fridge until ready to serve.
4. Enjoy with a sprinkling more of hemp seeds and/or nutritional yeast and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Raw Avocado Pesto Zucchini Noodles

Amount Per Serving

Calories 280 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 21g 32%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Sodium 96mg 4%

Potassium 1080mg 31%

Total Carbohydrates 19g 6%

Dietary Fiber 10g 40%

Sugars 6g

Protein 9g 18%

Vitamin A 24.7%

Vitamin C 75.5%

Calcium 9.3%

Iron 19.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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