Last night, after talking about trying a zucchini recipe for roughly six months, my friend Ashleigh and I tried a slight variation of a new recipe that was most definitely worth the wait.
Not only is this recipe healthy and delicious, it’s also super easy to whip up (especially if you have a cherry pitter on hand!). Although I suppose you could make this meal without a spiralizer, I’d definitely recommend using one if you can to make things simple. I have this inexpensive one from Target and have been very happy with it.
The evening was a success not just because we killed it when it came to dinner, but also because Ashleigh brought her adorable golden retriever puppy, Parker, over to meet Fulton for the first time. The result? They LOVE each other!
To round out this meal, we also cooked some salmon (brushed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then placed in a 425-degree oven on a foil-lined baking sheet for about 10 minutes), which paired really well with the noodle dish.
Pistachio Kale Pesto With Zucchini Noodles And Cherries
(serves 3-4)
Recommended tools
- spiralizer
- cherry pitter
Ingredients (for pesto)
- 3-4 handfuls of kale (we used the bagged kale from Trader Joe’s and used about 3/4 of the bag)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 3/4 cup fresh basil, packed
- 1/2 cup roasted shelled pistacios
- 1 lemon, zested
- 3 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients (for the noodles and topping)
- 4 medium zucchini
- olive oil
- 1 cup pitted and halved fresh cherries
- pistachios and lemon juice to top
Directions (for pesto)
- Place kale in a large pot and barely cover with water. Bring to a boil, and while the water is boiling prepare an ice bath (water + ice cubes) in a mixing bowl to blanch the kale. Boil kale for about a minute, then remove from pot and place in ice bath. Remove kale and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place the garlic in a food processor and mince.
- Add in the prepared kale, basil, pistachios, lemon zest, and lemon juice, pulsing until well blended and relatively smooth.
- Slowly pour the olive oil through the top of the food processor while it’s running, adding it a bit at a time until the pesto reaches your desired consistency (check it often!).
- Add salt and pepper, then place pesto into a bowl and set aside.
Directions (for remainder of dish)
- Using your spiralizer, create noodles with the zucchini. Drizzle noodles with a small amount of olive oil, and add salt and pepper, tossing to coat.
- Combine pesto with prepared noodles, tossing to combine evenly.
- Top noodles with extra pistachios, cherries, and lemon juice before serving.
- Enjoy immediately!
