Quick and Simple Vegan Zucchini Noodles with Pesto | Oil-Free

This Zucchini Noodle with Pesto recipe is vegan, plant-based, oil-free, and easy to make.  

This is a plant-based recipe that is great if you are just being introduced to a plant-based diet or even if you are just looking for adding in more plant-based foods into your life.

Zucchini is high in antioxidants and provides can promote many health benefits including:

Healthy Digestion

Reducing blood sugar levels

Improving Eye Health

Improving Heart Health and Circulation

This summer squash is nutritious and full of flavor.

Here are some of the ways you can enjoy this versatile plant food.

Spiralize it into spaghetti shaped noodles

Roast it

Add it to your favorite pasta

Enjoy it raw in a salad or power bowl

Add it to a Stir Fry

Dehydrate It

Add it to your favorite smoothie

Make Zucchini Chips

To keep zucchini fresh, you should store them whole, dry in an open paper bag in the refrigerator. 

And did you know that zucchini is 94% water, making it a great plant-based vegetable for helping keep you hydrated. 

This year was our first year growing zucchini at our new place.  Last fall we moved to a home with acreage and planted our first garden here.  Zucchini was one of the first things we planted and 3 months later, we are enjoying some of the biggest zucchini’s I have ever seen, so I decided I would make this Zucchini Noodle with Pesto and share it with you. 

For this recipe you will need the following equipment:

Spiralizer

High Speed Blender or Food Processor

Large Bowl

Large Frying Pan (optional)

Salad Spinner

Ingredients you will need for this recipe to make about 4-6 servings:

6 Medium Zucchini’s or 2-3 Large Zucchini’s.

Although I do recommend that you use medium sized zucchini as I found a large size ended up not being as easy as I thought. I ran into problems with it staying on the spiralizer and also it was almost too much and I actually broke my plastic spiralizer, which is why I recommend using a stainless steel one. Not only does it help reduce the use of plastic, they hold up better.

1 tsp Salt

Our Dairy-free Basil Pesto Sauce (Link to the Recipe)

Once you are done gathering your ingredients, you will want to spiralize the zucchini into a bowl. I decided this time not to cook it, but you can also cook it on the stove on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. 

Once I finished making the zucchini into spaghetti noodle shape, I added them to a salad spinner to get out the excess water.  I found that doing this helped make the noodles less mushy.

If you want to serve your dish warm, you can heat up all the ingredients in a large frying pan on the stove on medium-low for about 5-7 minutes.  If you have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix Venturist V1200 you can also heat up the sauce by blending it in the blender until warm.

It also tastes just as delicious without having to warm up the pesto. Either way, this delicious and nutritious plant-based recipe is sure to be a family favorite.

Here are some other plant-based recipes we thought you might like:

Plant-based Pesto Pasta

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna with Cashew Ricotta

Roasted Veggies

Here are some kitchen essentials that are helpful in making this recipe: