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March 13, 2019

Zucchini Noodle Primavera with Pistachio Pesto (Paleo,Vegan)

Home » Recipes » Courses/Meal » Mains » Zucchini Noodle Primavera with Pistachio Pesto (Paleo,Vegan)

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Pasta primavera gets a makeover in this zucchini noodle primavera featuring fresh zucchini noodles, a bright herby sauce and loads of fresh spring vegetables.

Zucchini Noodles Pistachio Pesto Primavera on Plates

What comes to mind when you think of pasta primavera?  Chances are you think of a rather bland pasta dish with a light cream sauce and a scattering of vegetables thrown in.

Pasta primavera, invented famously by Le Cirque restaurant back in the heyday of nouvelle cuisine has since largely fallen out of favor.  Although “primavera” means spring too many versions of the dish contained very few ingredients that had anything to do with spring with any vegetables most often overcooked into soggy submission.  So I thought it was high time the classic dish got a bit of a makeover.

Zucchini Noodles Pistachio Pesto Primavera in Bowl

This zucchini noodle primavera is my version of spring pasta that’s lightened up by using zucchini noodles instead of traditional noodles and packed with loads of springtime favorites like asparagus, snap peas and broccolini.  The whole dish is a veritable cornucopia of green and the kind of food that makes you feel good after you’ve polished off your plate, not heavy and weighed down.  Not to mention that it’s an easy and delicious way to get in your daily servings of vegetables.

In a matter of moments you can whizz together the sauce and quickly cook the vegetables.  If you have a spiralizer or a julienne peeler you can also easily make your own zucchini noodles or just buy them pre-made at your grocery store.

Zucchini Noodles Pistachio Pesto Primavera in Plates on Wood Board

I’ve also swapped out the original cream sauce for a fresh pesto inspired mix of dill, parsley and pistachios with a hint of lemon zest.  The bright tasting sauce is a natural complement to the lightly blanched vegetables and the perfect dish to make this time of year.

It’s a quick and simple “pasta” that captures the essence of springtime cooking: fresh and filled with green.

Serves 4

Zucchini Noodle Pistachio Pesto Primavera (Paleo,Vegan)

Sylvie Shirazi

Pasta primavera gets a makeover in this zucchini noodle primavera featuring fresh zucchini noodles, a bright herby sauce and loads of fresh spring vegetables.

20 minPrep Time

5 minCook Time

25 minTotal Time

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5 based on 2 review(s)

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Ingredients

    For the pistachio dill pesto:
  • 2 Tablespoons/ 18g pistachios
  • ¼ cup dill, stems removed
  • ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, stems removed
  • Lemon zest from ½ a lemon
  • 1 small clove of garlic
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • For the pasta:
  • 1 small bunch broccolini, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • ½ a bunch of asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup snap peas, string removed and cut in half if large
  • 3-4 zucchini, made into noodles with a spiralizer or julienne peeler

Instructions

  1. In a small food processor, pulse pistachios until finely chopped, add dill, parsley, lemon zest, garlic and salt; pulse again until finely chopped. With motor running, add in olive oil until smooth.
  2. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil.
  3. Add broccolini, asparagus and snap peas to boiling water and blanch for 2-3 minutes or until tender but firm. Transfer to an ice bath to cool, drain and gently pat dry.
  4. Toss zucchini noodles with pistachio dill pesto, gently stir in blanched vegetables to coat.
  5. Serve at room temperature.

Tags

Occasions
Spring
Courses
Main Course
Diet
vegetarian
pescetarian
Paleo
lacto vegetarian
Vegan
Allergy
gluten free
dairy free
egg free
soy free
wheat free
seafood free
treenut free
sesame free
mustard free

Nutrition

Calories

171 cal

Fat

13 g

Carbs

11 g

Protein

5 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
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https://gourmandeinthekitchen.com/zucchini-noodle-pistachio-pesto-primavera/
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Sylvie

Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she’s been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.

Filed Under: Courses/Meal, Diets, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Mains, Paleo, Recipes, Savory, Season, Spring, Vegan Tagged With: asparagus, broccolini, pesto, pistachio, snap pea, spinach, zucchini

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    Rate this recipe: ☆☆☆☆☆

  1. Meg Hobbes says

    March 18, 2019 at 2:50 pm

    Hello Sylvie, I enjoy your recipes very much! Thank you so much for sharing them with all of us. I recently made the Zucchini Noodle Pistachio Pesto Primavera. I had to ad lib on the amount of pistachios though, because they were not mentioned in the ingredient list. We enjoyed it the way I made it, but I would still like to know the amount you suggest. Hoping to hear from you, Meg Hobbes
    Reply
    • Sylvie says

      March 19, 2019 at 2:44 am

      I'm glad you enjoyed the recipes and I apologize for the oversight, the correct amount is 2 Tablespoons and the recipe has been updated to reflect that!
      Reply
      • Meg says

        March 19, 2019 at 8:19 am

        hank you, Sylvie! That is the amount I guessed. We have had the meal twice now. Both times I have had to add more olive oil. I also cut my vegetables into 1" pieces instead of 2" for easier eating. We are trying to eat a more plant based diet and appreciate wonderful recipes like this!
        ★★★★★
        Reply
  2. Beverly Ebersole says

    March 16, 2019 at 11:08 am

    How many pistachios
    Reply
    • Sylvie says

      March 19, 2019 at 2:43 am

      2 Tablespoons of pistachios!
      Reply
  3. Audra says

    March 16, 2019 at 8:09 am

    Hi! You didn't include the quantity of pistachios necessary to make the pesto. How much do I need? Looks amazing!!! Thank you :)
    Reply
    • Sylvie says

      March 19, 2019 at 2:42 am

      I apologize for the oversight, the correct amount is 2 Tablespoons!
      Reply
  4. Sarah says

    March 14, 2019 at 8:34 pm

    I absolutely love zoodles. What a great idea to add the other veggies in! This is a perfect spring dish, especially for lent as we are meatless on Fridays!
    ★★★★★
    Reply
  5. Gail says

    March 14, 2019 at 1:49 pm

    This recipe looks great, and I can't wait to try it! However, I'm looking everywhere for the amount of pistachios I am supposed to use> I even asked my husband to find it for me, since I can't. I think I'm going nuts! Help!
    Reply
    • Sylvie says

      March 19, 2019 at 2:41 am

      No you are right, it was not listed! I accidentally omitted the amount of pistachios from the original recipe but have updated it with the correct amount of 2 Tablespoons.
      Reply
  6. Abby Normalé says

    March 14, 2019 at 11:00 am

    This looks and sounds amazing! For the pesto, how much pistachios? I didn't see a measurement for that ingredient.
    Reply
    • Sylvie says

      March 19, 2019 at 2:40 am

      2 Tablespoons is the correct amount, I've updated the recipe to reflect that.
      Reply
  7. Bash says

    March 13, 2019 at 3:58 pm

    Don’t see the amount of pistachios listed in the recipe.
    Reply
    • Sylvie says

      March 19, 2019 at 2:38 am

      My apologies, the recipe has been updated to reflect the correct amount of 2 Tablespoons!
      Reply

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