Easy Zucchini Pesto
This easy no cook Zucchini Pesto makes the perfect dip, condiment or why not toss it with your favourite pasta for a delicious lunch or dinner meal. Fresh and wholesome ingredients makes this your new favourite pesto!
Living in Italy if there’s one thing you see a lot of in grocery stores it’s jars and jars of different types of pesto, from the Classic Basil to a Creamy Fresh Tomato to one of my favourites Arugula Pesto.
How to make it
Grate the zucchini then place in a sieve over a bowl toss with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and let drain for about 30 minutes. This removes the excess moisture from the zucchini.
In a blender or food processor, add the zucchini (do not rinse), pine nuts, basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, pepper and half the olive oil. Blend or pulse just to combine.
Add the remaining oil and blend/pulse until creamy.
Place in a clean jar and refrigerate if not using immediately or if you have leftovers.
What is Pesto?
- Pesto is a traditional condiment typical of Genova the capital of Liguria.
- Its main ingredient is basil, although now a lot of different ingredients are used to make a Pesto.
- Originally made using a marble mortar and a circular motion with a wooden pestle, now a food processor makes it fast and easy.
- All the ingredients including the basil, salt, pine nuts and garlic, Parmesan, and of course extra virgin olive oil were placed in the mortar and combined until a thick creamy paste was made.
- Pesto is never cooked and is usually tossed with pasta, although now there are many different ways to use it.
So if you are looking for a different type of pesto then I hope you give this Easy Zucchini Pesto a try and let me know what you think. Buon Appetito!
Easy Zucchini Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups zucchini (shredded)
- 2-3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt (divided)
- 2 dashes black pepper
- ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons olive oil (87 grams total, if you double the recipe then double this amount)
Instructions
- Grate the zucchini then place in a sieve over a bowl toss with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and let drain for about 30 minutes. This removes the excess moisture from the zucchini.
- In a blender or food processor, add the zucchini (do not rinse), pine nuts, basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, pepper and half the olive oil. Blend or pulse just to combine.
- Add the remaining oil and blend/pulse until creamy, I like mine a little chunky rather than really creamy. Place the pesto in a clean jar and refrigerate if not using immediately or if you have leftovers. Enjoy!
I just made it for tonight. What is the best way to heat it up after being in the fridge?
Thanks!
Hi Nina, you really aren’t supposed to heat up pesto, you can toss with hot pasta to eat or bring it to room temperature by leaving it at room temperature for about an hour. Hope that helps.
Zucchini pesto!!! Absolutely Delicious!!
Hi Beverly, thanks so much, so glad you like it. Take care!
Easy recipe to follow and quite tasty. We planted zucchinis during lockdown and have an over abundance. This was a great way to use them. My first attempt was good but think I might have overdone it with the Parmesan and not enough basil.
Tweaked the recipe a little for my second attempt and it’s like a different pesto. Thank you!
Hi Michael, thanks so much, so glad you like the recipe. Take care and Happy New Year!
This is a fine way to use up zucchini. I have an overabundance. the recipe was excellent, just as it was. flavourful, nice texture, and healthy. My second time around, I went the frugal way: swapped out the pine nuts for walnuts toasted, swapped the fresh cheese for the dried grated in a can, and traded olive oil for the cheapest in my cupboard. Still delicious! this one is going into my family cookbook.
Thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it.