Best 6 Zucchini And Basil Pesto Recipes

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Zucchini and basil pesto is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed in many different ways. This collection of recipes features a variety of dishes that showcase the unique flavors of zucchini and basil pesto.

From classic pasta dishes like Zucchini Pesto Pasta, to grilled pizzas like Grilled Zucchini Pesto Pizza, to refreshing salads like Zucchini and Basil Pesto Salad, these recipes offer something for everyone. There are also creative dishes like Zucchini Pesto Stuffed Shells and Zucchini Pesto Risotto, which add a unique twist to traditional dishes.

All of the recipes in this collection are easy to follow and can be made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Whether you're looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal or a special dish for a weekend gathering, these zucchini and basil pesto recipes are sure to please.

Let's cook with our recipes!

HEATHER'S ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH BASIL-PUMPKIN SEED PESTO



Heather's Zucchini Noodles with Basil-Pumpkin Seed Pesto image

Fresh, raw zucchini noodles tossed with basil pesto and cherry tomatoes make a light, healthy meal. Make this recipe for lunch or dinner, or serve it as a side! Recipe yields 4 generous main dish servings.

Provided by Cookie and Kate

Categories     Entree

Time 20m

Number Of Ingredients 12

1/2 small yellow onion, roughly chopped*
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves (arugula works, too)
1/2 cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), toasted**
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, to taste (or lemon juice)
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt, to taste
3 large zucchini
Salt
1 pint cherry tomatoes (Heather served her tomatoes whole; I halved mine vertically)
Fresh basil leaves, for garnishing

Steps:

  • To prepare the pesto: In a food processor, combine the onion (if using, see notes), garlic, basil, toasted pepitas, olive oil, vinegar and red pepper flakes. Blend until smooth and season with salt, to taste (I added about 1/2 teaspoon-if the mixture tastes overwhelmingly oniony, don't worry, it will mellow in a few minutes. I added another teaspoon of vinegar to help balance the flavors).
  • To prepare the noodles: Spiralize the zucchini with a spiralizer (here's how), or turn the zucchini into noodles with a julienne peeler, or grate the zucchini the long way on a large box grater. Toss the zucchini with pesto until well coated, and season with salt (I added another 1/4 teaspoon).
  • Transfer the pesto noodles to a large platter and sprinkle with the cherry tomatoes. Tuck the fresh basil in to the corners to garnish.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 221 calories, Sugar 3.4 g, Sodium 298.6 mg, Fat 19.7 g, SaturatedFat 2.8 g, TransFat 0 g, Carbohydrate 11.1 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 2.8 g, Cholesterol 0 mg

ZUCCHINI PIZZA WITH BASIL MINT PESTO



Zucchini Pizza with Basil Mint Pesto image

Provided by Molly Yeh

Categories     main-dish

Time P1DT1h5m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

500 grams (3 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil, plus more for serving
1/2 cup fresh mint
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more for serving
1 lemon, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, plus more for serving
1/2 cup olive oil
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, torn
1 small or 1/2 large (6 ounces) zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices

Steps:

  • For the pizza dough: Mix together the flour, salt and yeast in a bowl, then stir in 350 grams (1 1/2 cups) water until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and put it down for an 18- to 24-hour nap at room temperature until it's doubled in sized and bubbling.
  • For the pizza toppings: Preheat the grill with a pizza stone over medium-high heat. (If you don't have a pizza stone, you can use a baking sheet.)
  • Combine the pine nuts, garlic, basil, mint, crushed red pepper, juice of half a lemon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, a few turns of black pepper and the Parmesan in a food processor and pulse to a coarse crumb. With the processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.
  • Divide the pizza dough in half. On a floured pizza peel or baking sheet, flatten out one half of the dough into a 10- to 11-inch round. Spread with a thin layer of the pesto and top with half of the mozzarella. Bring it out to the grill. Grill the zucchini and remaining lemon half on the grates until charred, a few minutes. Add half the zucchini to the pizza and slide it onto the pizza stone. Close the grill and cook until the bottom is browned and cheese is melty, 6 to 9 minutes. Drizzle with more pesto, squeeze with juice from the charred lemon and add more Parmesan, crushed red pepper and basil and serve.
  • Repeat with the other half of the pizza dough and ingredients.

PARMESAN PESTO ZUCCHINI STICKS



Parmesan Pesto Zucchini Sticks image

Provided by Ina Garten

Categories     side-dish

Time 35m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

3 medium (6 to 8-inch-long) zucchini, trimmed
1/2 cup good store-bought pesto
8 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 large garlic cloves
1 1/4 cups panko (Japanese bread flakes)
3/4 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange two racks evenly spaced in the oven. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
  • Cut each zucchini in quarters lengthwise through the stem and then cut each quarter again in thirds lengthwise, making long skinny spears. In a medium shallow bowl, whisk together the pesto and 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and set aside. Place the parsley and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until they are finely minced. Add the panko, Parmesan, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper plus the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Pulse only until all the panko is moistened with oil. Pour the mixture onto a dinner plate.
  • Dip the zucchini spears first into the pesto mixture, turning to coat completely, then place each one in the crumb mixture, pressing and turning to coat thickly. Arrange the sticks in rows on the prepared sheet pans.
  • Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until the zucchini is tender and the crumbs have crisped to a crunchy golden brown. Sprinkle lightly with flaked sea salt and serve hot.

ZUCCHINI PESTO



Zucchini Pesto image

Categories     Condiment/Spread     Parmesan     Basil     Walnut     Zucchini     Summer     Bon Appétit

Yield Makes 2 cups

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup walnuts (1 ounce), toasted
2 garlic cloves
3 small zucchini (about 9 ounces), trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
Assorted raw vegetables

Steps:

  • Blend basil, walnuts and garlic in processor until finely chopped. Add zucchini, Parmesan cheese and greed onion; process until coarsely chopped. Add oil. Using on/off turns, process until mixture is finely chopped. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pesto and refrigerate.) Serve with assorted raw vegetables.

ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH BASIL PESTO AND BACON



Zucchini Noodles with Basil Pesto and Bacon image

There's no pasta in this dish, just fresh zucchini noodles tossed in a delicious bacon and pesto sauce.

Provided by Monica P.

Categories     Fruits and Vegetables     Vegetables     Squash

Time 30m

Yield 2

Number Of Ingredients 8

8 slices turkey bacon
½ cup basil pesto (such as Classico® Traditional)
3 large zucchini, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 cup fresh arugula
1 pinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

  • Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Lay bacon slices on a large baking tray.
  • Broil in the preheated oven until crispy, 9 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a large plate lined with absorbent kitchen paper and allow to cool and harden.
  • Crumble the cooled bacon into smaller pieces and combine with pesto sauce.
  • Use a spiralizer or julienne peeler to cut zucchini into noodles, snipping midway to prevent them from getting too long.
  • Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add zucchini and garlic and cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add pesto-bacon mixture and heat for 2 minutes longer. Toss well so the noodles are evenly coated. Taste and season with salt if needed.
  • Top with freshly grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese so it can melt while the dish is still warm. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Top with arugula, but do not mix it in. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 568.1 calories, Carbohydrate 22.4 g, Cholesterol 57.2 mg, Fat 44.9 g, Fiber 7.3 g, Protein 24.9 g, SaturatedFat 11.6 g, Sodium 1206.9 mg, Sugar 9.3 g

ZUCCHINI AND BASIL PESTO



Zucchini and Basil Pesto image

This colorful dish is an unusual and delicious pasta salad. A zucchini pesto basil is tossed with pasta and Parmesan cheese. We opted to use rotini pasta but any boxed pasta will work. The basil adds a nice pop of flavor to the non-traditional pesto. You could use the pesto alone over fish or as a dip for crackers. Serve this as a side dish for a cookout. Or, toss in some grilled chicken for a meal.

Provided by Antonette Ricotta Pizzolla @pizzsa

Categories     Pasta

Number Of Ingredients 7

2 small zucchini, chopped
5-6 - leaves of fresh basil
3 clove(s) garlic, small
3/4 cup(s) extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoon(s) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- salt & pepper, to taste
1 pound(s) your favorite pasta

Steps:

  • In a skillet add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Saute the chopped zucchini on low to medium heat until zucchini is a little soft (about 10 minutes).
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • In a food processor add the sauteed zucchini and the rest of the ingredients.
  • Pulse until it becomes a "pesto" consistency about 10 times.
  • Bring a pot of water to boil. Add in your favorite pasta and a little salt. Cook pasta for about 7 minutes.
  • Drain and put pasta back into the pot. Add zucchini and basil pesto. Stir all together until well combined. Add a little Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve!

Tips:

  • For the best flavor, use fresh zucchini and basil.
  • If you don't have fresh herbs, you can use 1/2 teaspoon dried basil.
  • To make a vegan pesto, use olive oil instead of butter.
  • You can also add other ingredients to your pesto, such as Parmesan cheese, nuts, or sun-dried tomatoes.
  • Pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Conclusion:

Zucchini and basil pesto is a delicious and versatile sauce that can be used in a variety of dishes. It's perfect for pasta, pizza, sandwiches, and more. With its fresh, herbaceous flavor, zucchini and basil pesto is a great way to add some extra flavor to your meals.

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