You guys? This Cheesy Pesto Zoodles recipe is going to Make. Your. Week. I’m not even kidding. So creamy and cheesy that even your picky family members will be on board with this vegetarian friendly keto zucchini recipe!
Hearty enough to enjoy on its own as a main dish, this cheesy pesto zoodles recipe also makes a fantastic side dish to break up your weeknight monotony of protein + cheesy cauliflower puree. (Just kidding, I still love you Cheesy Cauliflower Puree!)
Seriously though, you can add some cooked chicken or sausage to these cheesy keto zucchini noodles and it will be even more fantastic!
That being said, I’m working on more meatless keto recipes for the blog, which will no doubt be an exciting development to those of you trying to follow a vegetarian keto diet, but for the rest of you don’t panic – I’m not going full veggie on you anytime soon.
Just going to sprinkle some more vegetarian friendly keto recipes into my regular feed here. But if you haven’t tried it yet, this Cheesy Pesto Zoodles recipe is the perfect place to start!
Another thing to love about this cheesy pesto zoodles recipe is that it can be made in just minutes. And I’m not trying to get you on a technicality here–like how people will say minutes but it’s 59 minutes, so really an hour. It literally takes minutes (less than 20 of them) to have this zucchini noodle recipe on the table from start to finish!
So when you get home from work and you’re starving–but also Netflix, jammies, and your couch are calling? Tell them you’ll be right there and make these cheesy pesto zoodles STAT.
Recipe Notes:
- You will need a veggie spiralizer to make the zucchini noodles for this recipe, and you can get them for around $30 on Amazon. For convenience sake, you can purchase pre-spiralized zucchini noodles in the produce department of some grocery stores.
- You can use home-made or store-bought basil pesto for this cheesy pesto zoodle recipe, but it also tastes amazing with my garlic scape pesto.
More Keto Zucchini Recipes:
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting
Crispy Baked Zucchini Slices – An Edible Mosaic
Zucchini Fritters – My Keto Kitchen
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Cheesy Pesto Zoodles – Keto
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Perfect as a main meal or a side dish, this easy four cheese pesto zoodles recipe will win over even the pickiest of eaters with it’s creamy texture and so. much. cheese! Keto, low carb, gluten free, nut free, egg free, Atkins friendly.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Mascarpone cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup grated romano cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
- 8 cups raw zucchini noodles (aka. spiral cut zucchini)
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Microwave the zucchini noodles uncovered, on high, for 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander lined with paper towels and gently squeeze out any moisture from the zoodles. Set aside.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave on high for 30 more seconds.
- Remove and whisk together until smooth.
- Fold in the pesto and mozzarella cheese until fully incorporated.
- Add the cooked zoodles and stir until well coated.
- Transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish and bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling at the edges. Remove and serve immediately.
Notes
Net carbs = 5g per serving.
*Don’t try to add the mozzarella to the other cheeses when microwaving or you’ll have a hard time getting the mascarpone to create a smooth sauce. Also adding it just before baking gets lots of epic cheese pull when you’re eating it which is very gratifying.
**If you don’t own a microwave, you can steam the zucchini noodles and then drain any excess liquid before adding to the sauce. The sauce will cook on the stovetop in about 5 minutes over medium heat.
(And no, I really don’t want to read your 1127 page manifesto on the evils of the microwave so I beg of you, please don’t email me or rail in the comments. TIA.)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Vegetarian Keto
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 475
- Fat: 43g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 13g
New to Keto and need help getting started?? Try following my 12 weeks of free keto menu plans, starting with the 3 Day Keto Kickstart and Keto FAQs!
Stephanie says
Oh my oh my! That was absolutely delicious! I added sausage to make it a meal, and i think i inhaled it!
Tara says
I’ve got this in the oven now to go along side some steak! Been wanting to try this for so long. I’m relatively new to the keto diet (about 5 weeks in) and it’s been so fun making and enjoying all these yummy veggie recipes! Your recipes are wonderful. If I wanted to order one of your cook books, which one would you most highly recommend? Tia
Stacie says
I haven’t tried the receipt yet, but it’ already has me giddy with anticipation. Your recipes have truly made this whole keto WOE so much more doable for me. Seriously. Everything I’ve tried so far has been so good. Thank you!!!!
Dawn J says
Has anyone tried this recipe with the shirataki noodles? I am excited to try this recipe.
Valerie Williams says
Yup. Delicious. Added some chopped cooked broccoli when I took zucchini out .
Lulu says
This was good but I replaced the mascarpone with ricotta, which cut out 70cal and 2.5g carbs per serving. I also used low fat mozzarella, again cutting out more calories. I guess your calculator/ brands are different -I went by the package nutrition listed. Each serving still sat at 415 calories and 7.8g net carbs, so it’s still a ‘treat’ we pair with salad and a low carb roll. Thanks!
Liz C says
I made this and loved it! My question however, and maybe it’s a silly question, but I measured out 8 cups of the noodles but then after I cooked them it was no longer 8 cups but really only about 4 or 5 cups ( maybe they shrink lol) so for serving size, do I base it on the 8 cups before they are cooked and then do 1 cup as a serving instead of two? I hope this made sense!!
Thanks!
KetoKitty says
I would think a serving size is 1/4 of the finished product.
Dina says
Love the idea of more veggie recipes! I also eat too much protein, so that will be helpful.
If you’re up for it, I would also be interested in reading tutorials/recipe roundups of keto ingredients not everyone uses or is familiar with, like protein powders, collagen, etc.
And, as someone who has a finicky palate where stevia has an after taste, and erythritol is too mouth cooling, I’m always on the lookout for articles on all the different sweeteners on the market now, written by food bloggers I trust.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for the suggestions Dina!
Millie says
Lovely recipe thanks for creating this! I made it just as written the first time and loved it. The second time I made with cauliflower rice and added some cooked sausage. Loved it just as much! Oh and I did add about a tlbsp of heavy whipping cream.
Amanda A. says
Hello! Do you think leftovers would be okay the next day? There is just the two of us and while we could devour the whole dish in one meal, we probably shouldn’t….lol…..
Eddy says
This looks delicious. I’m thinking even my fussy-eater kids will like it too. Can’t wait to try! I’m also thinking about adding grilled chicken and making it for dinner.