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!
Jocelyn says
Fabulous! I drained my zoodles using a nut bag then let them drain more on paper towels for a few hours. After that the recipe was quick and nearly effortless.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Great idea Jocelyn, thanks for sharing!
Rachel says
One of my go to side dishes! Love her recipes and Pin them often!
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!