Recipe: Oodles of zoodles with avocado pistachio pesto
Winning Arizona recipe from “The 2015 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge Kids’ ‘State Dinner’ Cookbook,” courtesy of WGBH.
Recipe submitted by 10-year-old Nia Thomas of Arizona: “I am not a big fan of cooked zucchini, but when my sister made zucchini noodles one day with a tomato sauce, I loved it,” says Nia. “So, I started experimenting and came up with a very delicious pesto sauce by using lots of flavors that I love, like avocado, spinach, and pistachios. It turned out so delicious and when I made it for dinner for my family, they loved it. It is crunchy fresh, and the sauce is just awesome.”
Ingredients for the pesto:
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 packed cup fresh basil
- 1 packed cup fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 cup pistachios
Ingredients for the zoodles:
- 4 zucchinis, peeled
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups peeled, shredded carrots
- 1/2 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Directions to make the pesto:
- In a blender or food processor, blend 1 cup water with all the pesto ingredients, except the pistachios, until incorporated.
- Add the pistachios and blend until mostly smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Set aside.
Directions to make the zoodles:
- Use a grater, peeler, mandoline slicer, or spiralizer to turn the zucchini into zoodles. (Nia says: “I used a spiralizer to get the noodle aka zoodle shape.”)
- In a large bowl, mix the zoodles with the tomatoes, carrots, and red onion.
- Arrange the salad in bowls.
- Top with the pesto and serve.
Nutrition information:
310 calories, 31g fat, 8g carbohydrates, 3g protein
