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Zucchini Noodles with Pesto & Ricotta

Crisp, spiralized zucchini ribbons tossed in a vibrant, house-made basil and spinach pesto, finished with a cool, creamy dollop of fresh ricotta cheese.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

The Basil & Spinach Pesto
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
  • ½ cup pine nuts toasted
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled
  • 4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese about ½ cup
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
  • ½ cup olive oil
The Zucchini Noodles
  • 2 large zucchinis spiralized into long curly “noodles”
  • 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese or more to taste

Method
 

Blend the Pesto
  1. Place the basil, spinach, toasted pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan cheese into the bowl of a food processor or high-powered blender.
  2. Pulse the ingredients to finely chop and combine.
  3. Season the mixture with the coarse salt and black pepper.
  4. With the machine running, slowly pour in the olive oil until a smooth, vibrant green paste forms.
Blanch the Zucchini
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
  2. Season the water generously with salt.
  3. Drop the spiralized zucchini noodles into the boiling water and cook until just crisp-tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Drain the noodles well and return them to the warm, empty pot.
  5. Turn off the heat entirely so the pesto does not break.
Toss and Serve
  1. Stir two tablespoons of the fresh pesto into the warm zucchini noodles. (The residual heat will melt the pesto beautifully over the squash).
  2. Add more pesto to reach your desired flavor and coverage.
  3. Transfer the coated noodles to a beautiful serving bowl.
  4. Dollop the fresh ricotta cheese gracefully over the top and serve immediately.