Healthy Zucchini Basil Pesto
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A simple recipe transforms excess zucchini into a healthy and delicious zucchini basil pesto. Mix with pasta, add to chicken or fish, or use anywhere you love regular pesto!
Without a doubt, zucchini is among the most prolific late summer vegetables.
I don’t keep a vegetable garden – my thumb is pitch black – but I see the crazy piles of it at farmers markets and grocery stores. And I understand from people who do manage to grow actual plants in the actual ground that you can hardly keep up with the zucchini at this time of year. They sort of just keep coming.
Which leaves you with a lot of zucchini!
It’s pretty common to bake zucchini into breads, muffins, and cakes, because it adds a lot of moisture without an overpowering flavor. But sometimes you just don’t need another quick bread.
Enter: zucchini pesto.
Cross my heart, this tastes just like “regular” basil pesto, but you’ll do a happy dance knowing that you and yours are gobbling up healthy veggies in every bite. This is 100% approved by everyone from choosy toddlers and pre-schoolers to teenagers and adults who otherwise “don’t do” zucchini.
Related: Easy Spinach Pesto
Zucchini pesto ingredients
- Grated zucchini: about 2 cups, which you should easily get from 1 large or 2 small zucchini.
- Basil: for the best traditional pesto flavor, you still want to include basil, but a relatively small amount — 1 cup or so — will do the trick. This is my go-to pesto recipe because I hate using all my basil at once.
- Spinach: this adds nutrition and color. It literally offsets the paleness of the zucchini, so your pesto comes out vibrant green despite the light touch of basil.
- Garlic.
- Pine nuts: toasted for extra flavor.
- Parmesan: about 1/2 cup of it grated.
- Kosher salt, black pepper, olive oil.
How to make it
Making zucchini pesto is an easy two-step process. It does require a food processor, and the hardest part is probably hauling it up to the counter.
- Grate and press the zucchini. Use the food processor’s shredding disc to quickly and easily grate the zucchini, then scoop out the pieces, wrap in a kitchen towel or heavy-duty paper towels, and hold it over the sink while gently pressing to remove a bit of the excess water. Don’t overthink this — just press out what you easily can. Switch to the regular blade and return zucchini to the food processor bowl.
No food processor? You can also make pesto in a high-powered blender, but I highly recommend investing in a food processor when you can. There are reliable options ranging from fancy to budget, and they are incredibly useful, including for making many from-scratch sauces and doughs that will save you money in the long run. - Blend remaining ingredients. Add everything else to the bowl, and blend away until it’s a smooth, delicious pesto!
Pro tip: Add olive oil at the end, and only 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Depending on how much water came out of your zucchini, and how you plan to use the pesto, it may take very little oil to reach your desired consistency. And you can always add more, but not take it out!
Serving suggestions
Zucchini pesto is amazing tossed with pasta or spiralized noodles. For another low-carb option, spread pesto on baked or grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp. We love it in salmon pesto pasta, pesto Cavatappi, and pesto gnocchi with charred cherry tomatoes.
You can also use zucchini pesto as a sandwich spread, to make pesto pizza, or as a healthy dip for crackers and veggie sticks. The possibilities are endless!
Storage and freezing tips
Store zucchini pesto in a jar or other airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. The key to keeping it fresh? Pour a thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto before sealing the lid. This prevents oxidation and dull brown coloration, so your pesto tastes and looks as good after a week as it does freshly-made.
To keep pesto longer, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Simply transfer to the fridge to thaw before using.
Related Recipes
Have more zucchini to use up? My go-to moves are a delicious zucchini casserole, followed by banana zucchini muffins, lemon olive oil zucchini muffins, or parchment salmon with zucchini and potatoes.
If you try this zucchini pesto, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I love hearing how recipes turn out in your kitchen, and it helps other readers, too.
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Healthy Zucchini Basil Pesto
Ingredients
For the Pesto:
- 2 cups grated zucchini from 1 large or 2 small zucchini
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
- 2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a food processor fitted with the shredding disc, grate the zucchini. Scoop zucchini out of the bowl and into a clean kitchen towel or a few layered paper towels. Wrap the towel into a ball around the zucchini, hold over the sink, and squeeze with your hands to press out some of the water.
- Replace the food processor's shredding disc with the standard metal blade, and return the (somewhat more dry) shredded zucchini to the bowl. Add garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, basil, spinach, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth. With the food processor running, slowly add olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Notes
- Storage: If not using right away, transfer pesto to a jar or other airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Pour a thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto before sealing the lid. This prevents oxidation and dull brown coloration.
- Freezer: To keep pesto longer, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Transfer to the fridge to thaw before using.
- Recipe: Adapted from Running to the Kitchen.
Nutrition Estimate
This post was originally published August 4, 2017. It has been updated with new photos and more helpful information on storage, freezing, and serving suggestions.
More zucchini recipes
- Parchment Lemon Salmon with Zucchini and Potatoes
- Lemon Olive Oil Zucchini Muffins
- Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Surprised how much we loved this! Just tried some new recipes to use up zucchini. The zucchini helps to bulk up the pesto so that it is less strong in taste than just basil.
Don’t waste that zucchini juice in the sink put it in a container and use it in your next smoothie
I just made this with my garden glut of zucchini and basil, and home grown garlic (not a glut, I’m afraid!). It’s sensational! It may not last until dinner as I’m snacking on generous spoonfuls as I write this 😂. Thank you for this recipe – it will be a regular feature in my family’s rotation 😊
I’ve been making this recipe for over 20 yrs. Because I had leftover zucchini. For best results, sautee zucchini before using. Much deeper flavor if cooked first!!
Thanks, Sheila, I will have to try that next time!
SUPER delicious. I always have a batch of pesto frozen in my freezer, but I’ve never tried a pesto recipe with zucchini before. I was so intrigued. Happy to say that this pesto really blew me away. Great flavor and texture. Any time I can get more greens into my kids, the better! Thank you for this recipe, will definitely make it again and again.
Looks delicious! Do you know if it freezes well?
It does! Freeze in an airtight container and allow to thaw in the fridge before giving it a good stir and proceeding as you normally would. It should keep at least 2-3 months. Enjoy!
I really love this post and the pasta looks delicious! We eat a lot of pasta too so I like to switch it up now and then. Zucchini is so versatile isn’t it? Shared and saved for later. Can’t wait to try.
Thanks, Kelsey! I’m so happy you like the idea!
What a beautiful fresh pasta recipe! I would like to make a gallon of that pesto!
This looks SO good! And a great way to sneak in a few extra veggies! Can’t wait to try it. Pinned!
Good to know that I’m not the only one with a black thumb! Luckily – there’s enough zucchini in the market that I don’t have to grow it myself! This pesto looks delicious! I’m sure it’s good on pasta, but I think I might like to slather it on a sandwich instead of mayonnaise. That’s allowed, right?
Ooooh, that sounds like a wonderful idea! I’m thinking it would be super good with some crusty bread and roast turkey or chicken breast!
I’ve made a lot of pesto but I never thought to add zucchini, I love this as a healthy trick to pasta too. Thanks for the tip!
I have such a weakness for pesto, so thank you for sharing this healthier version! It looks so vibrant and delicious!
OMG! I LOVE this! I have so much zucchini in my freezer from last year and I have been wanted to use it up because I have new ones coming in! I’m going to make QUARTS of this!! Thanks for the inspiration!
I have to try this! I have courgettes multiplying in my vegetable crisper and this would be a great way to use them up. PLUS, I happen to have all the ingredients on hand already! Definitely making this tomorrow!
My basil plant is pending a good trim – it’s gotten a bit wild. And now I know what I’ll be making with all those cuttings!
That sounds lovely pesto pasta is a real mid week lazy day lifesaver in our house.
This looks delicious! I would never have thought of using zucchini in pesto but this is definitely something I will have to try!
Omg so beautiful ~ I never thought to add zucchini to my pesto, but it makes a lot of sense ~ great way to use up the glut right now 🙂