This Zucchini in Pesto Sauce is super creamy and flavorful. The mix of garlic, basil, and nuts with tender cubes of zucchini make this vegan dish so tasty and satisfying.
I love fresh pesto, don't you? There's just something about the pungent garlic as it mixes with herbaceous and nutty flavors. This sauce has so much going on, but the final taste is the perfect marriage. Sauteed with coconut milk, this adds a creamy flavor to the sauce and makes it a wonderful complement to the chopped zucchini in this recipe. If you want a meal that's richly flavored, then you have got to try this Zucchini in Pesto Sauce.
Zucchini is a great vegetable to work with for many reasons. Rich in vitamins and minerals, it has been shown to benefit both your heart and your digestion. It also has a rather mild and low-key taste, which makes it perfect when paired with sauces and other ingredients that are bursting with flavor. In the right dishes, zucchini can really shine. Let's talk about what goes into this delicious Zucchini in Pesto Sauce.
Video Tutorial
Main Ingredients
- Zucchini. Yellow squash would work as well.
- Olive oil. Just a touch to grease the zucchini for baking. Other kinds of oil could be used instead, including avocado, coconut, or vegetable oil.
- Spices. Salt and paprika.
- Coconut milk. Use full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream.
- Pesto Sauce. You can use store-bought, make it yourself, or use my recipe below.
How to Make These Zucchini
1. Cut the zucchini into medium-sized cubes and mix them with olive oil, salt, and paprika. Spread the zucchini evenly on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes.
2. While the zucchini is in the oven, make the pesto sauce. Place the basil leaves, garlic cloves, salt, walnuts, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Blend the ingredients until smooth.
3. In a medium skillet, mix the coconut milk and about ⅓ cup of the pesto, and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add the baked zucchini to the sauce and stir. Serve warm.
About Pesto Sauce
In this recipe, I'm showing you how to make vegan pesto sauce. Of course, you can use your favorite pesto recipe instead. Another option is to buy pesto sauce from the store. One word of advice: make sure you are buying a good quality pesto because I tried a few brands and they weren't good at all. So make sure you like your pesto before adding it to the sauce.
Tips for the Best Zucchini in Pesto Sauce
- Use full-fat coconut milk. To get the right consistency in the sauce, you need to use full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream. Either will give the desired creaminess. Lower fat coconut milk is too watery and your sauce won't coat the zucchini cubes quite the same way.
- Don't use too much olive oil on the zucchini. To give your zucchini the best flavor without making it greasy, only pour a touch of olive oil on the zucchini cubes before baking. The oil is only used here as a way to make the paprika and salt adhere to the zucchini so they can bake into the flesh of the vegetable. Too much will lead to oily spices dripping off and not enough on the zucchini itself.
How to Store Leftovers
To store any leftovers of this Zucchini in Pesto Sauce, place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This dish will stay fresh for about 5 days. If you make extra pesto sauce, you can store that separately in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer in a ziplock freezer bag for up to six months.
What to Serve with this Dish
- With grains. Spoon this Zucchini in Pesto Sauce over brown rice, quinoa, bulgur, or anything else you like.
- On bread. This also tastes great on slices of rustic bread.
- Atop pasta. Use this as your pasta sauce, mixing in with spaghetti, penne, or rotini.
Creamy, delicious, and bursting with flavor, you are going to love this Zucchini in Pesto Sauce. It's an easy recipe to follow and only takes about half an hour to make, but the taste is impressive. This makes a great side or main dish for dinner, and the leftovers can be used for lunch the next day. I hope you love this tasty vegan dish as much as I do.
You'll also love these tasty zucchini recipes:
- Parmesan Zucchini
- Mexican Zucchini Boats
- Creamy Zucchini Sauce
- Easy Zucchini Chickpea Curry
- Zucchini Noodles
Zucchini in Pesto Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lb. zucchini
- ½ tsp. salt or to taste
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 5 oz. coocnut milk
Pesto Sauce (use ⅓ cup of store-bought pesto, if desired)
- 2 handfuls fresh basil
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ cup walnuts
- 3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- ⅓ tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice optional
- 4 tbsp. olive oil
Instructions
- Cut the zucchini into medium-sized cubes and mix them with olive oil, salt, and paprika. Spread the zucchini evenly on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes.
- While the zucchini is in the oven, make the pesto sauce. Place the basil leaves, garlic cloves, salt, walnuts, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Blend the ingredients until smooth.
- In a medium skillet, mix the coconut milk and about ⅓ cup of the pesto, and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add the baked zucchini to the sauce and stir. Serve warm.
Notes
ABOUT PESTO SAUCE
In this recipe, I'm showing you how to make vegan pesto sauce. Of course, you can use your favorite pesto recipe instead. Another option is to buy pesto sauce from the store. One word of advice: make sure you are buying a good quality pesto because I tried a few brands and they weren't good at all. So make sure you like your pesto before adding it to the sauce.TIPS FOR THE BEST ZUCCHINI IN PESTO SAUCE
- Use full-fat coconut milk. To get the right consistency in the sauce, you need to use full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream. Either will give the desired creaminess. Lower fat coconut milk is too watery and your sauce won't coat the zucchini cubes quite the same way.
Caroline says
I will most definitely be Making this!!!
Tania Sheff says
I can't wait to hear how it turns out for you, Caroline!