Zucchini Noodles with Spinach Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Zucchini Noodles with Spinach Pumpkin Seed Pesto

WHOLE30. PALEO. GLUTEN FREE. VEGAN. DAIRY FREE. SUGAR FREE.

I absolutely love pesto! This is spin off of traditional pesto that I make ALL the time. Instead of using pine nuts, I use a combination of pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds which give the pesto tons of flavor and loads the sauce with nutrients and healthy fats. Additionally, I use spinach along with basil to pack in extra nutritional value. 

My favorite way to serve this pesto is paired with zucchini noodles (AKA Zoodles). This is a GREAT way to increase your intake of vegetables, while it feels like eating spaghetti! To make the zucchini noodles, you need a spiralizer. Cut the ends off of the zucchini, and rotate it through your spiralizer on the medium noodle setting to get long beautiful zucchini noodles!

Last note about the zoodles: they hold lots of water. I pat mine down with a paper towel and squeeze out any extra moisture. These can be eaten raw or heated up on the stove on high for a couple of minutes until hot. DO NOT OVER COOK THE ZOODLES! They can easily get soggy!

Follow the recipe below for the pesto and check out my episode on YouTube for a tutorial on how to make this yummy dish!

WATCH THE VIDEO OF THIS RECIPE

SPINACH PUMPKIN SEED PESTO INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/4 hemp seeds

4 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt

2 cups basil

2 cups spinach

2/3 cup olive oil

Fresh ground pepper

Squeeze of Lemon Juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add pumpkin seeds, hemp seed, garlic, salt, basil and spinach to a food processor or blender.

2. Pulse to grind up mixture.

3. Slowly add olive oil through the lid of the food processor while it is on and running.

4. Add fresh ground pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, to taste!