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Zucchini Pasta with Creamy Avocado Pesto

4.67 from 62 votes
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By: 88 Comments

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This spiralized zucchini pasta is tossed in creamy basil and avocado pesto to make a deliciously low carb and gluten-free dinner!

This spiralized zucchini pasta is tossed in creamy basil and avocado pesto to make a deliciously low carb and gluten-free dinner!

I’ll be the first to admit that…I don’t always eat my vegetables. Or at least, not as many as I should. But when I got my hands on my very first vegetable spiralizers, I knew things were going to change.

Zucchini noodles (or zoodles as I like to call them), are my favorite thing to make with a spiralizer. Zucchini is soft enough to cut into perfect spirals, and its neutral flavor makes it great as a pasta substitute! And when topped with creamy avocado pesto…perfection.

Zucchini Pasta Video

This spiralized zucchini pasta is tossed in creamy basil and avocado pesto to make a deliciously low carb and gluten-free dinner!

How do you make zucchini noodles?

The easiest way to make zucchini noodles is with a spiralizer. This handheld spiralizer and this standing spiralizer both make great vegetable pasta! If you don’t have a vegetable spiralizer, simply cut the zucchini into ¼ inch wide strips or peel into thin “fettuccini” using a vegetable peeler. Alternatively, slice them into thin slabs to make zucchini lasagna noodles!

To make zucchini noodles, you’ll need to get yourself some zucchini. Cut off each end, then cut each zucchini in half to fit in your spiralizer. Place the zucchini half in your spiralizer so that it’s perfectly centered, then spiralize! Apply constant pressure while spiralizing the zucchini to create uniform, long noodles.

Zucchini noodles hold a lot of water, so it can be useful at this point to sprinkle the noodles with salt and let it sit for 15 minutes to let water drain out.

Zucchini Pasta with Creamy Avocado Pesto

What is the best way to cook zucchini pasta?

Don’t treat zucchini noodles like regular noodles. While you would usually boil pasta, don’t go that route here! Boiling zucchini leaches out water-soluble vitamins (vitamin C and B6 in the case of zucchini). Instead, saute the zucchini noodles on the stove with a touch of olive oil until they are soft.

This spiralized zucchini pasta is tossed in creamy basil and avocado pesto to make a deliciously low carb and gluten-free dinner!

Sauce for Zucchini Noodles

But of course, no good zucchini pasta is complete without a great sauce. I wanted something creamy without, well, the cream. And this perfect avocado pesto sauce is just that: part creamy, part tasty, mostly healthy. Throw avocado, garlic, basil, and lemon into the food processor and blend, then add a dash of extra virgin olive oil and finish with a dash of salt and pepper to taste.

Other sauces that are great on zucchini pasta: romesco, marinara, or traditional pesto!

Zucchini Pasta with Creamy Avocado Pesto
This spiralized zucchini pasta is tossed in creamy basil and avocado pesto to make a deliciously low carb and gluten-free dinner!

Zucchini Pasta with Creamy Avocado Pesto

4.67 from 62 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Author: Sarah Bond
Calories: 362kcal
Servings: 2 large portions
These spiralized zucchini noodles are tossed in creamy avocado pesto to make a delicious gluten-free dinner! 

Ingredients

  • 1 avocado ripe
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice 15 mL
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 30 mL
  • Water as needed
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2-3 zucchinis spiralized or cut into ¼ inch wide strips

Instructions 

  • Sauce: In a food processor, blend avocado, garlic, basil leaves and lemon juice until smooth, then mix in extra virgin olive oil. Add water, 1 Tbsp at a time, until sauce reaches a fluid yet thick consistency. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Zucchini Noodles: Saute zoodles with a splash of olive oil over medium/high heat until slightly soft and bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain excess water.
  • Serve: Toss zoodles with sauce and top with parmesan cheese (you may not need all of the sauce).

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving (half recipe) Calories: 362kcal (18%) Carbohydrates: 16g (5%) Protein: 4.6g (9%) Fat: 34.1g (52%) Saturated Fat: 6.3g (39%) Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 28mg (1%) Potassium: 1043mg (30%) Fiber: 9.1g (38%) Sugar: 4.1g (5%) Calcium: 40mg (4%) Iron: 1.4mg (8%)
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  3. Christine says

    How long does the avocado pesto keep for? I’m thinking of using this for my meal prep lunches this week but I’m a little hesitant as anything with avocado tends to get a bit funky after a few days….

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      Hi Christine! Avocado doesn’t generally stay great past 2 days so I wouldn’t use the sauce for meal prep. Perhaps you could mash up some avocado the day of and mix it with a spoonful of ready-made pesto!

    • Sarah says

      Hey, Erika! I had to buy mine online because even here than can be tricky to find in stores. They’re called “spiralizers” or “spiral slicers”. You may be able to purchase one here. 🙂

    • Sarah says

      YUM! That’s a such a great idea, Mila! So happy you liked it and thanks so much for dropping a in a note 🙂

  6. Joanna Bonanno says

    Will be trying out for sure. My only concern is the fat content- which I am assuming is mostly coming from the oil and avocado. I am thinking of adding some nuts (walnuts/pine nuts)

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      Hi Joanna, yes the fat content in this recipe is a bit high form the avocado and oil. You could try mixing in a bit of Greek yogurt to add a dose of protein. Pine nuts would also suit the recipe pretty well 🙂

  7. Samantha says

    This looks soooo good! I just purchased my Vegetti Spiralizer, and this sauce looks like the perfect addition.4 stars

    Reply

  9. Kelly says

    I made this for work tomorrow this may sound stupid but do you heat up to eat or eat cold? I tasted it right after it was made and it is awesome !

    Reply

  10. Johanna Belleman says

    Keep your avocados fresh and green by using lime juice (or lemon juice). The citrus keeps the oxidation down. I’ve kept guac for 5 to 6 days without it turning brown.

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      If you’re using a nonstick skillet then no oil is needed. If not, heat a teaspoon of oil then add the zucchini noodles. Toss around until they’re all bright green 😀

  12. Namita says

    Hi, thanks so much for posting this recipe! Just made it for my family and it was waaaaay better than I could have imagined! So delicious and creamy (not to mention healthy!)

    I’m definitely going to be trying more of your recipes soon. Thank you!5 stars

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      So happy to hear, Namita! I especially love this recipe with roasted chickpeas or a fried egg on top 😀

  13. Kalel says

    I made this last night with my s/o and I think I’ll go back to boiling zucchini rather than saute-ing because it just tasted like vegetable mush. The whole process took at least an hour, not 15min, and in the end we threw it out.

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      Weird, I’ve found boiling actually makes the texture mushier, which is why we saute briefly on high heat. I can definitely see them getting mushy if they’re on the stove for any longer than 10 minutes. Next time be sure to try high, fast heat (about 5 minutes – just until bright green). Regardless, sorry to hear it didn’t work for ya!

  14. Indigo says

    This was so good. I loved it. I have a friend that I want to try something like this. But she dosen’t like pesto/Basil. Is there a good substitute for it5 stars

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      Hi Indigo! If it’s the basil she doesn’t like, you can actually sub that out for any other leafy green (spinach, kale, carrot tops etc). I have a guide on how to do that here: https://www.liveeatlearn.com/leafy-greens-pesto/. If it’s the pesto she doesn’t like, virtually any other pasta sauce would work well on these noodles!

  15. Jim says

    Frankly, I was skeptical and scared to make this but the new food processor with spiralizer made me feel obligated. In addition, I am not that inventive in the kitchen but I do enjoy opening a good wine with my wife and putting on some music to cook to.
    Needless to say, the dish was very easy to make and was awesome to eat. Thanks so much, it was quite tasty5 stars

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      Your food processor has a spiralizer built in?! How cool! So happy I could help get you over the skepticism of zucchini noodles 😀 If you’re feeling EXTRA adventurous you can use sweet potato or carrots!

  16. Jenna Giles says

    This was seriously amazballs and so quick. I just got the spralizer attachment for my KitchenAid as a gift and this wasn’t very first recipe. Thanks!5 stars

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      Yay, so happy to hear Jenna!! Sweet potato and carrots are also so tasty in spiralized form 😀

  19. Amanda says

    This is a delicious recipe. I didn’t have fresh basil, so I used a little dried oregano, and an extra avocado. Turned out so yummy. I love zoodles!5 stars

    Reply

  20. Carly says

    We loved using this recipe for Keto! We added an extra avocado & extra 2 tbsp olive oil to make it a higher fat content (more Keto friendly). We also added a friend egg on top. Excellent- adding this to our go-to’s!5 stars

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      So happy to hear, Carly! I also love it topped with crispy baked tofu that I throw a bunch of spices on (but the egg is also great on it!) 😀

  21. Kim Simons says

    Yum, yum, yummo…this was so good! I had some cherry tomatoes that I sauteed along with the zoodles and threw a handfull of walnuts into the pesto. So GOOD!!

    Reply

  22. Arista says

    I am trying to eat better and lose weight and incorporate foods like avocado. I love zucchini and I haven’t been the biggest fan of avocado but this recipe looked promising so I decided to give it a try. This is hands down the most amazing, delicious recipe I’ve ever tried (and I’ve tried them all lol). It’s like 9 PM and freezing and I want to buy more avocado from the store. I ate it with brown rice and salmon and I know this recipe is going to be a weekly thing for me. Thank you so very much for taking the time to post this!!

    Reply

  23. Camila Javiera Guerrero Tapia says

    Amazing recipe, but was too much garlic for me jjj Next time i will try without <35 stars

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      Hi Emily! If you’re adding nuts to the pesto, add about 1/4 cup. You could also sprinkle a similar amount of nuts over the finished pasta (almonds would be great!)

  25. Hoosier Beth says

    O-M-G!!! This was INCREDIBLE!!! It was my first experience using a spiralizer/eating zoodles and it couldn’t have gone more smoothly. Thank you so much for sharing! This is definitely a new favorite!5 stars

    Reply

  27. Jessica says

    This recipe was amazing and so delicious! I had to triple the recipe the second time I made it because we ate so much of it. Thanks Sarah for sharing!5 stars

    Reply

    • Sarah says

      Hi Ashley! There is a very small amount of natural sugar in zucchini, which is where the sugar in this recipe is coming from 🙂

  31. GW says

    I bought the spiralizer. That thing is great. It makes perfect noodles with no effort. I was afraid you made it look easy and I would have a pile of goo. Thanks dor the suggestion

    Reply

  33. Atul Patel says

    Hi Sarah,

    I love your website. I am a born vegetarIan and never had meat, fish, chicken, or eggs in my life. I always look for news ides to make healthy meals.

    Thank you for great ideas.

    Best,
    Atul

    Reply

  34. Janice says

    Excellent recipe! Creamy texture, balance of flavors. Coated the zucchini really nicely! We added sauteed onions, garlic cloves and mushrooms in too! Sarah is right to say LARGE portions. We had plenty of sauce left over, as the zucchini was a generous side dish. But it definitely will not go to waste. So delicious!

    One person said their zucchini was mushy. Personally, earlier in the day, I spiralize and then (like eggplant) salt the zuchinni on lots of paper towels to remove the excess liquid. By evening, when I cook, there isn’t really any liquid at all left in the pan. Still plump and fresh.5 stars

    Reply

  35. Thumper says

    Fantastic and simple! I added some cherry tomatoes for a splash of red. Went beautifully with the meal.5 stars

    Reply

  37. Jillian Fischer says

    I accidentally bought frozen zucchini noodles instead of fresh – am I doomed? Is this salvageable? Thanks!

    Reply

  38. Konstantina Lagou says

    The taste is so delicious , perfect consistency! I am breastfeeding and baby and I are dairy free at the moment . This recipe satisfied my creamy “cheese “ craving.5 stars

    Reply

  39. Karen says

    Easy and really good. I added some plain tofu baked in the airfryer for extra protein sprinkled some nooch on top and it was really good. I’ll definitely make it again.5 stars

    Reply

  40. SARA says

    Hi! I am following the keto diet. I see 16g of carbs. Are they net carbs? I am still new and a bit confused 🙂

    Reply

  41. Bethany Seeley says

    This was delicious! I didn’t have fresh basil on hand, so I used about a tablespoon of dried. I also threw in a small handful of smoked almonds! My hubby loved it (he “doesn’t like avocado”), and even our 2 1/2 year old gobbled it up! Thank you!5 stars

    Reply

  42. Janeen says

    Thanks for the healthy yummy recipe. Even my 10 yr old son said he would eat this every week! My hubby says he’d like it fried up more crispy. I wonder if the noodles would taste nice crispy?

    Reply

  48. Dawn says

    Hi Sarah – I made some alterations to the recipe (which I hope doesn’t bother you – to me that’s the mark of a good recipe when it holds up to changes!) Just putting them here in case others want to try!

    I bought some pre-zoodled kohlrabi to use (it was on discount!) to use instead of zucchini. Instead of using lemon juice, I used the ‘flesh’ (no rinds) of three full slices of lemon (my hubby had used lemon slices to bake on his ribs and had too many, and round slices are SO hard to juice so I just threw in all the flesh!) I used dried basil since I had no fresh and added enough water so it remained rather thick. I topped the dish with diced green onions since I can’t have dairy, though I thought about nutritional yeast and will try that next time!

    This was amazing – I see so many possibilities with it! You could add cooked chicken to the dish. I can see using lime and cilantro instead of basil and lemon. I can also see subbing in dill instead of basil! I have a lot of the sauce left, and since it’s so thick I can see many different ways I can use it (like a dip or spread) or I can thin it for something else! Mmmmm, this would be great on fried chicken wings I think as a sauce!

    Thanks so much for all the inspiration!5 stars

    Reply