You guys? This Cheesy 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 zucchini recipe!
Hearty enough to enjoy on its own as a main dish, this cheesy pesto zoodles recipe also makes a fantastic side dish to break up your weeknight monotony of protein + cheesy cauliflower puree. (Just kidding, I still love you Cheesy Cauliflower Puree!)
Seriously though, you can add some cooked chicken or sausage to these cheesy keto zucchini noodles and it will be even more fantastic!
That being said, I’m working on more meatless keto recipes for the blog, which 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. But if you haven’t tried it yet, this Cheesy Pesto Zoodles recipe is the perfect place to start!
Another thing to love about this cheesy 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 zucchini noodle 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 cheesy pesto zoodles STAT.
Recipe Notes:
- You will need a veggie spiralizer to make the zucchini noodles for this recipe, and you can get them for around $30 on Amazon. For convenience sake, you can purchase pre-spiralized zucchini noodles in the produce department of some grocery stores.
- You can use home-made or store-bought basil pesto for this cheesy pesto zoodle recipe, but it also tastes amazing with my garlic scape pesto.
More Keto Zucchini Recipes:
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting
Crispy Baked Zucchini Slices – An Edible Mosaic
Zucchini Fritters – My Keto Kitchen
Print
Cheesy Pesto Zoodles – Keto
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
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.
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.)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Vegetarian Keto
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 475
- Fat: 43g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 13g
New to Keto and need help getting started?? Try following my 12 weeks of free keto menu plans, starting with the 3 Day Keto Kickstart and Keto FAQs!
Edith says
Wow, you are certainly forthright in speaking to your readers. You do success well.
Veronica says
I LOVE that she doesn’t pull any punches. I get so sick of commenters whining a thousand questions that they can research and/or determine for themselves. Everyone wants to be hand-held and spoon-fed. Bravo, Melissa!
Angela says
Hi, I am having surgery soon and wanted to know if this dish would freeze well so I have some meals prepped when I can’t cook?
Mellissa Sevigny says
No I don’t think this will freeze well at all unfortunately – the zoodles would become completely soggy after being frozen and reheated.
Norma says
This is a delicious and different recipe! We enjoyed it very much. Really like that there is not a ton of pesto in it, but enough to give a wonderful light flavor. I prepared the zoodles a little ahead of time and let sit in the paper towel lined colander in the fridge which was a nice way to get a jump on the meal. Wonderful dish!
★★★★★
Jan Johnson says
This is so good! I tend to add a bit of ground beef or chicken because I am a meat eater!
Melissa Schmock says
Love this! One of the best tasting side dishes I’ve ever had to be honest. I make it quite often.
★★★★★
Nikki says
8 CUPS OF ZOODLES…IS THIS PACKED OR LOOSE??? I HAVE A SPIRALIZER, BUT SERIOUSLY, HOW MUCH ZUCCHINI IS THIS?
Mellissa Sevigny says
3-4 medium sized zucchini will yield what you need. You can pack it slightly into the measuring cup and a little more or less won’t hurt the recipe.
keshakeke says
This recipe is delicious! It is a staple at my house. My 4 year old grandson even loves it! This will be in regular rotation at my house!
★★★★★
Sandra Duke says
Awesome recipe. I make this all the time and it is my favorite. You can always add shrimp or chicken but it is fantastic by itself.
★★★★★
Sandra Duke says
By far my favorite recipe. I have no idea if I ever rated it before but I am doing it again because I simply love it. Easy, so tasty and I normally have the iingredients on hand.
★★★★★
Smitty says
Oh My All my favorites in one dish!! YUM! PS: I love my microwave lol!
Donna Cieslak says
Melissa I want to buy your book DO you have any
Sherry says
My cheese all clumped together. What did I do wrong?
Susy says
I love the sound of this recipe cant wait to try it. Do you think this could be made with Spaghetti Squash?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yes, but make sure to squeeze as much liquid out of the squash as possible first.
Gigi says
Can’t you just try it? I dont understand why people always ask can I do this or that? Just do it and see how it turns out
Barbara says
The marscapone cheese is delicious, but hard to find and expensive. What do you recommend to doctor/adapt regular cream cheese or or other cheese as a substitute?
★★★★★
Elle says
Just use cream cheese. Maybe a little less since it’s so strong and firm. You could add a drizzle of cream to thin it if needed.
Christina says
I was looking for a zoodles recipe and decided to try this. AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!!! I did exactly what ur recipe says … (except I had to cut everything in half portions) and it came out so unbelievably delicious!!! Thank u so much. I’m a big fan of urs and now look forward to making other suggestions u post.
★★★★★
Linda says
My husband and I love this! I made this last night for the two of us to have as a side with steak and it was great! Since there is just the two of us we had leftovers – tonight I folded in some chicken with the noodles and warmed up in the oven, tastes like Chicken Alfredo – lovely! Thank you for all you do on your blog. I am new here and to the world of keto / low carb and your recipes and videos are a treasure, I have already shared your site with many of my coworkers and my son.
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Linda – glad you guys enjoyed the recipe!!!
Tina says
I really want to try this recipe!! Thanks for posting this. It looks fantastic.
Also, this snarky side note made me laugh out loud at work: “(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.)” I see that ALL the time on recipes that involve using a microwave and it’s so dumb. You don’t have to use it if you don’t want to! There are so many alternative ways of melting butter or steaming veggies lol.
Gapeachmommy says
Mascarpone where have you been all my life!!! This was awesome!! Being new to the low carb/Keto lifestyle I am so glad I found your site!! I am also following week 1 of the weekly meal plan. Thank you
★★★★★
Diane Kerper says
This recipe sounds awesome. How would you adjust the recipe if you were bringing this to someone’s house? Would you bake it in advance and cool and refrigerate it and then reheat it when you get to where you’re going? Or just assemble everything in the dish and do the baking right before you’re going to eat it?
Liz says
I added two cans of tuna and it was great. It reminded me of cheesy tuna casserole from childhood. :)
★★★★★
Kristi says
This was amazing! My 8 yr old loved it! He said it was fantastic and was a little upset I only made 2 servings. ?
★★★★★
Daisy says
All my children actually ate this workout complaint! It was delicious. I can’t wait to buy your book!
Michael Kagan says
Is the serving size 1/2 a cup or 1.5 cups?
Michael Kagan says
Never mind I figured it out. It was formatted weird on my phone.
Bethany Eder says
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!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Bethany! So glad your entire family is enjoying the recipes!!!
★★★★★
Stephanie says
Oh my oh my! That was absolutely delicious! I added sausage to make it a meal, and i think i inhaled it!
★★★★★
Tara says
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
Stacie says
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!!!!
Dawn J says
Has anyone tried this recipe with the shirataki noodles? I am excited to try this recipe.
Valerie Williams says
Yup. Delicious. Added some chopped cooked broccoli when I took zucchini out .
★★★★★
Lulu says
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!
Liz C says
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!
KetoKitty says
I would think a serving size is 1/4 of the finished product.
Dina says
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.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for the suggestions Dina!
Millie says
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.
★★★★★
Amanda A. says
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…..
Eddy says
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.
KarenT says
This tasted AMAZING. I added Polish Kielbasa so that my family would get meat for dinner.
★★★★★
Judy says
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”!
★★★★★
Chelsey says
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!
Karen Mitcheff says
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.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I’ve had their rum and have driven by it!!
Amy M says
Approximately how many zucchinis would you recommend buying to yield 8 cups of zoodles? Thanks for the always phenomenal recipes!!!
Amy
Mellissa Sevigny says
Depends on the size of the zucchini. Four medium should do it.
Nellie says
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?
Erica B says
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.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Haha Erica! Yes, thank you for that link!
Karla Wilcox says
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.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I like this one Karla! It’s only $30 and works awesome!
Karen says
I have a spiral attachment for my kitchenaide mixer. Works great….plus super easy to make apple pie now.
Jovina Coughlin says
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.
Julie says
Great recipe! And darn I wanted to vent about microwaves…but you stopped me cold. Thanks for the laugh!
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Haha, wondered if anyone would actually read that! ?