Zucchini Noodles with Pesto, Prosciutto & Pine Nuts
I am head over heels in love with pesto. I love its vibrant green colour and its bold garlic flavour that works in perfect harmony with chunky bits of parmesan and toasted pine nuts. I also love pesto for its aromatic smell and that just a spoonful added to a sandwich, grilled meat or salad can completely transform the dish.
Pesto is the star of this dish. Delicate spirals of zucchini are smothered in pesto and topped with creamy parmesan flakes, crisp prosciutto and crunchy pine nuts. This dish is heavenly. It all comes together in less then 15 minutes and is delicious reheated the next day or even eaten cold (which is not always the case with leftover pasta). The recipe is incredibly versatile, if you prefer going dairy free it still tastes delicious without the parmesan and you can substitute the prosciutto for chicken, prawns or even roasted tomatoes. Although it might seem like an easier option, try to avoid buying store bought pesto, no matter how fancy the store, they can never replicate the vibrant flavours of homemade pesto. If you are feeling adventurous, this dish also tastes great with my kale & pistachio pesto. Enjoy!
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Pesto Zucchini Noodles with Prosciutto & Pine Nuts
Ingredients
Pesto
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 cups basil
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan optional
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Zucchini Noodles
- 4 slices Prosciutto
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 2 tbsp shaved Parmesan optional
- 4 zucchini
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius
- Spread the pine nuts onto a baking tray and place in the oven, keep a close eye on them as they will brown quickly. Once golden remove from the oven, this should take less then 5 minutes
- In a food processor combine all of the pesto ingredients and process until smooth
- To crisp the prosciutto, lay the slices on a baking tray trying not to overlap the pieces and place in the oven, it should take approximately 4-5 minutes for them to crisp. Remove from oven and break into small pieces
- Using a julienne peeler or spiralizer cut the zucchini into thin noodles and place in a pan with 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat. Once the zucchini is warm add spoonfuls of pesto until you reach your desired noodle to sauce ratio (you will likely have pesto left over)
- Add the pine nuts, prosciutto and shaved parmesan and stir to combine. Enjoy!
This was fantastic. Very easy to forget you are eating a plate full of veg instead of pasta. I thought there would be way too much zucchini so originally didn’t cook it all but it shrinks down a lot in the warming up/cooking process.
I noticed you didn’t include basil or spinach in the ingredients for the pesto. Was this an oversight?
Ah, the most important ingredient! Thanks for pointing that out!
OMG this looks sooo good!