You guys? This Easy Four Cheese Pesto Zoodles recipe is going to Make. Your. Week. I’m not even kidding. So creamy and cheesy that even your picky family members will be on board with this vegetarian friendly keto recipe!
Hearty enough to enjoy on its own as a main dish, this easy four cheese pesto zoodles recipe also makes a fantastic side dish to break up your weeknight monotony of protein + cheesy cauliflower puree. (Just kidding, I still lurv you Cheesy Cauliflower Puree!)
Seriously though, you can add some cooked chicken or sausage to these cheesy keto zoodles and it will be even more fantastic!
That being said, I’m working on more meatless keto recipes for the blog because I have a tendency to overeat protein on keto and it stalls my weight loss. Based on my conversations with some of you this is a common problem, so I’m focusing on adding more vegetarian keto recipes to my (and your) repertoire.
This will no doubt be an exciting development to those of you trying to follow a vegetarian keto diet, but for the rest of you don’t panic – I’m not going full veggie on you anytime soon. Just going to sprinkle some more vegetarian friendly keto recipes into my regular feed here.
Another thing to love about this easy four cheese pesto zoodles recipe is that it can be made in just minutes. And I’m not trying to get you on a technicality here–like how people will say minutes but it’s 59 minutes, so really an hour. It literally takes minutes (less than 20 of them) to have this recipe on the table from start to finish!
So when you get home from work and you’re starving–but also Netflix, jammies, and your couch are calling? Tell them you’ll be right there and make these keto zoodles STAT.
Easy Four Cheese Pesto Zoodles – Keto
Perfect as a main meal or a side dish, this easy four cheese pesto zoodles recipe will win over even the pickiest of eaters with it’s creamy texture and so. much. cheese! Keto, low carb, gluten free, nut free, egg free, Atkins friendly.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Vegetarian Keto
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Mascarpone cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup grated romano cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
- 8 cups raw zucchini noodles (aka. spiral cut zucchini)
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Microwave the zucchini noodles uncovered, on high, for 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander lined with paper towels and gently squeeze out any moisture from the zoodles. Set aside.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave on high for 30 more seconds.
- Remove and whisk together until smooth.
- Fold in the pesto and mozzarella cheese until fully incorporated.
- Add the cooked zoodles and stir until well coated.
- Transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish and bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling at the edges. Remove and serve immediately.
Notes
Net carbs = 5g per serving.
*Don’t try to add the mozzarella to the other cheeses when microwaving or you’ll have a hard time getting the mascarpone to create a smooth sauce. Also adding it just before baking gets lots of epic cheese pull when you’re eating it which is very gratifying.
**If you don’t own a microwave, you can steam the zucchini noodles and then drain any excess liquid before adding to the sauce. The sauce will cook on the stovetop in about 5 minutes over medium heat.
(And no, I really don’t want to read your 1127 page manifesto on the evils of the microwave so I beg of you, please don’t email me or rail in the comments. TIA.)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 475
- Fat: 43g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 13g
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I added two cans of tuna and it was great. It reminded me of cheesy tuna casserole from childhood. :)
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This was amazing! My 8 yr old loved it! He said it was fantastic and was a little upset I only made 2 servings. 😃
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All my children actually ate this workout complaint! It was delicious. I can’t wait to buy your book!
Is the serving size 1/2 a cup or 1.5 cups?
Never mind I figured it out. It was formatted weird on my phone.
I made this as a side dish last night, along side a roasted chicken, and even my skeptical daughter liked it. I go WEEKLY to this website to print out recipes for meal planning. Thank you for all your hard work!
Thanks so much Bethany! So glad your entire family is enjoying the recipes!!!
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Oh my oh my! That was absolutely delicious! I added sausage to make it a meal, and i think i inhaled it!
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I’ve got this in the oven now to go along side some steak! Been wanting to try this for so long. I’m relatively new to the keto diet (about 5 weeks in) and it’s been so fun making and enjoying all these yummy veggie recipes! Your recipes are wonderful. If I wanted to order one of your cook books, which one would you most highly recommend? Tia
I haven’t tried the receipt yet, but it’ already has me giddy with anticipation. Your recipes have truly made this whole keto WOE so much more doable for me. Seriously. Everything I’ve tried so far has been so good. Thank you!!!!
Has anyone tried this recipe with the shirataki noodles? I am excited to try this recipe.
Yup. Delicious. Added some chopped cooked broccoli when I took zucchini out .
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This was good but I replaced the mascarpone with ricotta, which cut out 70cal and 2.5g carbs per serving. I also used low fat mozzarella, again cutting out more calories. I guess your calculator/ brands are different -I went by the package nutrition listed. Each serving still sat at 415 calories and 7.8g net carbs, so it’s still a ‘treat’ we pair with salad and a low carb roll. Thanks!
I made this and loved it! My question however, and maybe it’s a silly question, but I measured out 8 cups of the noodles but then after I cooked them it was no longer 8 cups but really only about 4 or 5 cups ( maybe they shrink lol) so for serving size, do I base it on the 8 cups before they are cooked and then do 1 cup as a serving instead of two? I hope this made sense!!
Thanks!
I would think a serving size is 1/4 of the finished product.
Love the idea of more veggie recipes! I also eat too much protein, so that will be helpful.
If you’re up for it, I would also be interested in reading tutorials/recipe roundups of keto ingredients not everyone uses or is familiar with, like protein powders, collagen, etc.
And, as someone who has a finicky palate where stevia has an after taste, and erythritol is too mouth cooling, I’m always on the lookout for articles on all the different sweeteners on the market now, written by food bloggers I trust.
Thanks for the suggestions Dina!
Lovely recipe thanks for creating this! I made it just as written the first time and loved it. The second time I made with cauliflower rice and added some cooked sausage. Loved it just as much! Oh and I did add about a tlbsp of heavy whipping cream.
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Hello! Do you think leftovers would be okay the next day? There is just the two of us and while we could devour the whole dish in one meal, we probably shouldn’t….lol…..
This looks delicious. I’m thinking even my fussy-eater kids will like it too. Can’t wait to try! I’m also thinking about adding grilled chicken and making it for dinner.
This tasted AMAZING. I added Polish Kielbasa so that my family would get meat for dinner.
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Thank you for Another delicious zucchini recipe. I made my own pesto without nuts. Hubby has oral allergies to various nuts. I didn’t have any fresh garlic so I used a bit of garlic powder. I added about 1/2 tsp to the cheese mixture as well. It’s dynamite. And I don’t have a zoodler so I just shred it in the food processor. Hubby declared this “outta this world”!
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Made this tonight for my husband and I. For some reason the sauce was really thick so I just added a tbsp or so of heavy cream. I halved the recipe and we each ate half, topped with grilled chicken. Totally hit the spot and I’ll be making it again!
Hi Melissa, tonight I made your recipe for the Four Cheese Pesto Noodles, it was excellent. My husband and I are visiting friends in New Mexico and it was a big hit at the dinner table tonight.. love all your recipies and have made quite a few and they all have been delicious. I also wanted to ley you know that my good girlfriends sister lives In Roatan, she owes Roatan Rum Company, it’s in West Bay. Please look her up and enjoybone of het homemade rum cakes, and her homemade rum. Her name is Michaeleen Francis.
I’ve had their rum and have driven by it!!
Approximately how many zucchinis would you recommend buying to yield 8 cups of zoodles? Thanks for the always phenomenal recipes!!!
Amy
Depends on the size of the zucchini. Four medium should do it.
Hi Mellissa! I LOVE your blog and your frankness! When you were perfecting this recipe did you try not cooking or steaming the zucchini before popping in the oven? I was thinking about skipping that step but I was curious if it would give up too much liquid and ruin the dish. Also did you make your own pesto?
How about a manifesto that explains why microwaves are perfectly safe? 😄 It’s actually not a manifesto, but an article with references. Interesting reading for anyone on the fence about microwave usage. https://www.thepaleomom.com/are-microwaves-safe-to-use/
(Disclaimer: I have no connection to this blog. I just found the article informative, intelligent, and evidence-based, unlike many arguments against microwaves.)
Thank you for the recipe, Mellissa! My husband and I really enjoyed your green enchilada chicken cauliflower casserole earlier this week. I’m putting this one on my recipe wishlist.
Haha Erica! Yes, thank you for that link!
For people that make their own zoodles…what is the best device you have found for this? I had some device and it wasted more than it created so I have shied away from them since.
I like this one Karla! It’s only $30 and works awesome!
I have a spiral attachment for my kitchenaide mixer. Works great….plus super easy to make apple pie now.
This looks like a delicious recipe and I welcome veggie centered recipes. I am trying to eat a more balanced diet and one that includes more vegetables, so this is a great recipe to have on hand. Besides who can resist that sauce.
Great recipe! And darn I wanted to vent about microwaves…but you stopped me cold. Thanks for the laugh!
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Haha, wondered if anyone would actually read that! 😂