Quick & Healthy Macadamia Nut Pesto Recipe With Fresh Zucchini Noodles by Jan Mostrom
I love this delicious macadamia nut pesto! Every time I make this healthy pesto recipe I think of a new way to use it. It's great with pasta, as a sandwich spread, on a pizza or my new favorite over zucchini noodles (aka zoodles).
I use macadamia nuts because I've developed a sensitivity to pine nuts, the usual nut used for pesto. And I love how healthy macadamia nuts are for you. The richness of the macadamia nuts combined with the lemon makes this a satisfying and delicious dinner.
If you have any pesto left get creative and use it for a soup topping or on your next homemade pizza instead of tomato sauce. Pesto will keep for up to three weeks in your refrigerator. Add a bit of olive oil to the top and a piece of plastic pressed against it to prevent discoloration.
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Pesto
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, toasted
Zoodles
- 10 zucchini, washed, trimmed and peeled into "zoodles" (I don't use the middle core with seeds)
- olive oil
Here's how to make it:
- To make the pesto, preheat frying pan to medium heat and gently brown the macadamia nuts. (Alternatively you can do it in a 350-degree F oven for 6 to 8 minutes.) Be careful not to burn them!
- In a food processor with the chopping blade inserted combine the basil, garlic, cheese and macadamia nuts. Blend until it becomes a paste.
- Keep blending and add oil and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- To make the zoodles, heat a dash of olive oil in a frying pan and add 1/2 the zoodles. Rotate with tongs and remove when heated through. Repeat for second half of zoodles.
- Put zoodles back in the frying pan and add the pesto. Mix to heat and generously coat the zoodles. Start with 1/2 the pesto and continue to add until you get the ratio of sauce to zoodles you want.
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