• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Simple Healthy Kitchen
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
    • Popular Recipes
    • Dinner
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Juices & Smoothies
    • Salads
    • Sides
    • Slow Cooker
    • Soups
    • Vegan
  • What’s in Season?
  • Contact
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • What’s in Season?
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipe Index
    • What’s in Season?
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » 30 Min. or Less

    Zucchini Noodles + Avocado Walnut Pesto

    Last Updated January 28, 2022. Originally Published April 1, 2015 By Susan 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    zucchini noodles with avocado pesto- simplehealthykitchen.com-070

    Hello beautiful spring vegetables ..asparagus, peas, avocados! …I’ve been waiting for you!

    We are lucky here on the west coast, we have had a really mild winter. Usually Seattle gets a few snow days each winter, o.k. don’t hate me (all you East Coast peeps who are still up to your eyeball in snow)...but I love those days!. We get just enough snow to cover the ground and make it all beautiful, and maybe enough to make a snowman or two. But this year we only had one snow day and dang it, I was in CA and missed it!.

    Then, around mid March…the cherry blossoms start to peak their cotton candy pink heads out to signal the arrival of Spring. Then the daffodils…the tulips…and all the glorious spring produce.

    Everything turns green! And, green things start to come into season. Tall gleaming green stalks of asparagus, pods of sweet peas, fennel, leeks, ramps, kiwis, artichokes, green onion, fiddle head ferns (oh yum!) , nettles, mint etc., etc. All this glorious emerald greenness…Spring has arrived!

    how to make zucchini noodles- simplehealthykitchen.com-016

    Have you made zucchini noodles before? I’m a bit hooked on them! Ever since I discovered how easy they are to make (you can see my first recipe for Zucchini Pasta with Heirloom Tomatoes and Feta here). I initially made them with a Julienne peeler and then my friend gave me a spiralizer for Xmas. Both work great, and are super easy! I’m a bit partial to the spiralizer now though because it makes really long fabulous “noodles”. For the smaller zucchini (or extra-large ones that don't fit as great in the spiralizer), I use the Julienne peeler.

    The trick I found is to go for the medium size zucchini,they work the best! Just a couple of quick turns in the spiralizer...And Voilà! about 30 sec. later you have a perfect plate of noodles (or “zoodles” = zucchini + noodles)

    zucchini noodles- simplehealthykitchen.com-028

    I’ve been making them pretty much weekly. The beauty of zucchini noodles is that you can use them for SO many things. You can serve them raw or even give them a quick sauté in a little olive oil to cook them. Use them in place of traditional pasta noodles for a light or low cal option.

    Today we are whipping up an avocado walnut pesto to serve over the noodles. This pesto is made with fresh avocado, basil, walnuts, garlic, lemon and olive oil ..no cheese (got you covered my Vegan friends! )

    avocado pesto- simplehealthykitchen.com-033

    You'll mix the pesto with the noodles so they all get coated with creamy avocado goodness. The veggies (asparagus and peas) get a quick blanch and then top the noodles. Add a little extra dimension of flavor with some chopped walnuts and crumbled feta (omit the feta if you're keeping this Vegan).

    zucchinin noodles with avocado pesto

    Easy peasy!...you can have this quick healthy meal on the table in under 10 mins.

    These are the tools I use to make "Zoodles" : Julienne Peeler (from Crate and Barrel) Premium Slicer Spiralizer (available at Amazon (affiliate link)).

    avocado pesto and zucchini noodles with asparagus- simplehealthykitchen.com-038

    * Avocado Pesto inspired by Eating Well

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Zucchini Noodles + Avocado Walnut Pesto

    Prep Time10 mins
    Total Time10 mins
    Servings: 2 -4
    Author: Susan | SimpleHealthyKitchen.com

    Ingredients

    • 2 medium zucchini
    • ½ large bunch fresh basil about 1/3- 1/2 cup chopped or 1.25 oz.
    • 1 ripe avocado pitted and skin removed
    • ¼ cup walnuts
    • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1-2 cloves garlic depending on your taste
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
    • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • Ground pepper to taste
    • ¼ cup fresh or frozen peas
    • 6-8 stalks fresh asparagus
    • 2 Tablespoons crumbled feta omit if keeping this Vegan
    • chopped walnuts for topping optional

    Instructions

    For the Noodles

    • Use a spiralizer or Julienne peeler to make zucchini noodles (according to device directions).

    For the Avocado Pesto

    • Remove stems from basil. Add basil leaves, avocado, walnuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper to a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add the oil and continue to process (should form a thick paste). Add fresh ground pepper to taste.

    For the Vegetables (peas and asparagus)

    • In a small saucepan, bring enough water to boil to cover vegetables. Add vegetable and cook for 1 minute. Drain and let vegetables cool to room temperature.

    To Assemble

    • Mix zucchini noodles with pesto until all noodles are coated. Top with peas, asparagus, crumbled feta and chopped walnuts.
    Share on Facebook Pin Recipe
    Tried this recipe? Pin it for later!Mention @shkitchen or tag #simplehealthykitchen!

     

    Share on pinterest
    Pinterest
    Share on twitter
    Twitter
    Share on facebook
    Facebook
    Share on reddit
    Reddit
    Share on tumblr
    Tumblr
    Share on stumbleupon
    Stumbleupon
    Share on yummly
    Yummly
    Share on email
    Email
    Share on print
    Print
    « California-Style Bibimbap
    Chocolate + Strawberry Bruschetta »

    About Susan

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Esther C Toups

      June 22, 2016 at 9:31 am

      Divine pesto and a keeper recipe but I had no walnuts so I just threw in left over mixed nuts and roasted sunflower seeds. It was delicious! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Susan

        June 22, 2016 at 10:09 am

        Thanks Esther! Glad you enjoyed! I love the idea of adding roasted sunflower seeds!

        Reply
    2. Anita

      April 10, 2016 at 9:03 am

      I will try this but I am surprised that the zucchini noodles are used raw and not cooked. I will steam or saute them because I want a warm dish that would be similar to pasta.

      Reply
      • Susan

        April 10, 2016 at 9:13 pm

        Hi Anita...that's the beauty of zucchini noodles! They can be served raw or cooked. Either version is delicious! Adding a little olive oil to a skillet and saute the zucchini for about 4-5 min. is my favorite way to cook them. Hope you enjoy!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi I'm Susan!

    Thanks for stopping by Simple Healthy Kitchen- a food blog featuring simple healthy meal ideas that can be prepared in 30 min. or less, using seasonally fresh ingredients. Read More…

    GET THE LATEST RECIPES

    Visit our sister site- Healthy Instant Pot Recipes

    Footer

    GET THE LATEST RECIPES !

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    As Seen On:

    Logos of publications Simple Healthy Kitchen has been seen on. Listed are Buzz Feed, NBC News, Country Living, People Food and Woman's Day

    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • What's in Season?
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy & Disclosures

    Copyright © 2023