This creamy Avocado Basil Pesto Zucchini Noodles recipe makes a light and refreshing side dish any time of year! Vegan and gluten-free.

I never say no to avocado.

It’s a never-ending love affair, and these noodlies smothered in avocado basil perfection are no different. I’m not doing any wackadoodle cleanses or kale showers this January, but zucchini noodles are something I can definitely get down with!

I remember last year around this time when we added spiralized veggie salads like Asian Carrot Noodles and Zoodles to Alchemy’s menu. It was the best idea ever. They were immediatley adored by staff and customers alike. Soon after that, I bought an inspiralizer of my very own. ‘Twas another fabulous idea.

Rest assured that when I really want pasta, I eat pasta. I don’t pretend a plate of zucchini is a plate of pasta. That said, I appreciate zucchini noodles for what they are—delightfully crisp, refreshing, and no-cook. Hallefreakinglujah.

The masterminds behind these dreamy Avocado Basil Pesto Zucchini Noodles are lady boss extraordinaires Lee of Fit Foodie Finds and Monique of Ambitious Kitchen! They just launched The Healthy Glow Collective and I’m all googley eyed over the mission and the purpose behind it.

The Healthy Glow Collective is a community and resource that encourages women to live a healthier, vibrant lifestyle and glow from the inside out. The goal is to help women develop a trusting relationship with their bodies and find joy in food and fitness by encouraging a balanced approach free from guilt or restriction. I couldn’t have captured this oh so important mantra better myself!

You’ve probably noticed that my perspective as a dietitian and food influencer has really changed over the last few months. I want to focus less on the nitty gritty of nutrition and focus more on a healthy lifestyle, which includes a happy social life, a positive relationship with food and fitness, an inspired mind, a healthy heart, and some serious self love. When Lee told me about their plans for The Healthy Glow Guide, it fit together like a puzzle piece.

The guide is is a multi-week, flexible plan dedicated to providing you with the tools you need to feel and look your best, including workouts, meal plans, grocery lists and motivation. The six week program includes:

Weekly meal plans with 85 deliciously satisfying recipes (80 of which are gluten-free, like the recipe I’m feturing today!)
Weekly grocery list organized by recipe
3 new workouts per week
Access to workout video library + 4 bonus workouts if they join before January 7th (valued at $15)

The Healthy Glow Guide is currently on sale for $64, which also comes with access to the private Facebook group complete with loads of awesome live videos and inspiration. As an added bonus, if you purchase the guide by January 7th, you get 4 bonus workouts, including yoga, to add into the rotation and a full video library of all 18 workouts in the Healthy Glow Guide, as well as the bonus workouts. The bonus workout + video library bundle will be available for $15 after that, so if you more value to kickstart 2017, time is of the essence!

How bout dem zoodles, doeeee!

The more of you beautiful people that can be comfortable in your own amazing skin, the better. Cheers to a happier you (and all the avocados) in 2017!

Avocado Basil Pesto Zucchini Noodles

★★★★★ 4.8 from 10 reviews

Author: Alexis
Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
Yield: 2 1x
Category: Side Dish

Description

This creamy Avocado Basil Pesto Zucchini Noodles recipe makes a light and refreshing side dish any time of year! Vegan and gluten-free.

Scale

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 large ripe avocado
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp pine nuts (I used walnuts)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp water (more if needed)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup sliced grape tomatoes

Instructions

Use a julienne peeler, mandolin, or spiralizer to spiralize the zucchini into noodles. Add noodles to a large bowl.
Add basil, avocado, garlic, walnuts, and lemon juice to a food processor and pulse for 20 seconds or until pesto is chopped (I processed until it was smooth and creamy). You may need to add more water to get it to your desired consistency.
Transfer to a bowl with the zucchini noodles and toss the noodles until they are well coated. Top with tomatoes. Serve room temperature or chilled..