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
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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!
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.