Pesto Zoodles with Broccoli and Bacon
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You may have guessed that those “noodles” aren’t really pasta, but julienned zucchini. Zucchini noodles are a great alternative if you’re eating paleo, gluten-free, or low-carb. I feel like I’m the last one in the blogosphere to try them out.
Why did I wait so long? A mandoline
asking around on Twitter doing some serious research, I found one that I liked, and after multiple uses, I still like it. If you’ve never used a mandoline slicer, you’re missing out on some seriously cool slicing action. And perhaps having a finger nearly sliced off. Given my track record with sharp objects, I probably shouldn’t be allowed to use a mandoline. I’ve been good about using the guard, though. No blood shed. . . yet.
At the end of 2015 I finally got this spiralizer, and I’ve been happily using that instead of the julienne attachment on my mandoline.
To prepare the “noodles” I used a technique I saw in Vegetable Harvest
I was surprised at how the texture and appearance of the zucchini resembled actual pasta. I think I even giggled a few times. My kids were hesitant (I’m still trying to get them to like zucchini. Tonight we made some progress!) but I think after a few tries they’ll be slurping up those “noodles” like nobody’s business.
Especially if it’s got bacon sprinkled in it. Bacon is my insurance if I’m not sure if something will turn out well. Throw a little bacon in and a mediocre dish will rise to “pretty good” status. Instantly.
I really don’t think I needed the insurance with this, though.
Pesto Zoodles with Bacon & Broccoli
If you're new to zoodles, this is a perfect intro. The bacon is there for insurance, but it really stands on its own!
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini, julienned thinly (mandoline slicers are great for this)
- generous pinch of salt
- 6 slices of uncooked bacon
- 1/2 cup green onions, sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2-3 T prepared basil pesto
- Fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese, for garnish
Instructions
- Place zucchini strips in a colander over a bowl or in the sink. Sprinkle zucchini with salt and toss to combine. Let the zucchini sit for 15 minutes while the salt extracts the moisture. Drain excess water, squeezing zucchini, if necessary.
- Meanwhile, cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, turning frequently. Remove bacon to a stack of paper towels to drain. Crumble bacon. Remove all but 2 T of bacon drippings from the pan.
- Return the pan to medium heat. Add the green onions and broccoli, stirring frequently for about 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add zucchini and 2 T of pesto, tossing to combine all ingredients.
- Taste and add more pesto, if needed. The mixture only needs to warm up, so 2-3 minutes of cooking ought to do it. Serve with bacon crumbles and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Man, that looks really good!! I've got a mandolin… in a drawer… somewhere
April – Quick! Get it out!
That looks amazing! People keep leaving me zucchini on my porch, I'm trying this on Sunday! Have you ever tried Spaghetti Squash? I like it like a hundred times more than actual pasta. But man, in the summer zucchini is free! (also, please dear neighbors stop with the vegetable offerings, there is only one person here who will eat it!)
“People keep leaving me zucchini on my porch.”
This concerns me. I would not eat that if I were you.
Zucchini Noodles are a favorite in our house! We love them with a fresh tomato sauce, sauteed shrimp and goat cheese :)
Sounds as good a reason as any for me to go out and buy a mandoline! Thanks for sharing.
I've GOT to the try this! Wish you lived closer so I could drop off 100 pounds of zucchini on your doorstep ;)
xoxo
tina
If you hadn't mentioned this wasn't real pasta, I'd never have known.
I got a mandoline recently and even though I don't use it often, it's a great tool.
I totally throw bacon into dishes I'm unsure of too! It works like a charm…
I totally throw bacon into dishes I'm unsure of too! It works like a charm…
Alright, so my next foodie splurge purchase needs to be a mandoline. Got it.
OK-silly question. Did you peel the zucchini first?
I keep thinking I'd slice a finger off too, using one of those things, but I bet they are handy and fun too…
Incredible! I have a friend who is a serious low-carber…I'm going to forward this to her. I have a mandolin, but it only slices…so the julienne, I'd have to do by hand…but that's okay!
This looks absolutely amazing! Congratulations on another winner!
We love pasta. I wish I can always get in touch with you to have more of your brilliant tips and recipes
these look just great! i'm terrified of mandolines – we had to use one in my culinary class last week and i made somebody else in my group do it. i'm just sure i'll slice a finger off. but then i see dishes like this and get all jealous…which mandoline did you end up getting?
Jodi – No, I didn't peel it. I think it might be easier to slice with the peel on, but peeling would be fine, too.
megcjones – If you use the guard you have nothing to worry about :) I ended up getting the Progressive one. I linked to it within the post. It's pretty inexpensive (under $20) and I was surprised how sturdy and sharp it was for the price.
This is perfect timing. I just posted my menu plan for this week and I wanted to make zucchini "spaghetti". I was just going to wing it, but this is even better!
Amy @ A Little Nosh
I use my Titan Peeler for this, the julienne peeler that comes in the set is perfect for zucchini pasta! Plus it's nice that I can throw it in the drawer when it's not in use, no extra parts. They do make an extra stand that makes the peeler into more of a mandolin, but I've found it to be unnecessary.
Amy – I've been known to read minds via food. :)
Andra – The Titan peeler! I totally forgot about that little gadget. Yes, I can totally see the space-saving advantage of having one of those!
Ooooooooooo, Natalie. I think you totally nailed this one. Yum.
Terri – Thanks! Honestly… I think I did, too. And the funny thing is that I wasn't trying to "develop" anything. I threw it together one night for my kids when the hubs had to work late. Love it when great things happen without a lot of forethought!
This looks wonderful! The broccoli/Parmesan/bacon combo sounds great. I eat low carb and have tried zucchini ribbons before, but I've never tried it this way. I guess I need to get a mandoline!
Tried this tonight…fantastic! My roommate hardly ever eats zucchini and she even loved it. :)
ourlifeinfood – I've never tried zucchini ribbons!
Glad you liked it Sammi (and roommate!) It's definitely a twist on zucchini, isn't it?
I just bought a mandolin for the purpose of making zucchini spaghetti. I am so happy i came across this recipe! I am making this for dinner tonight
I’d swear that was real spaghetti in the photo (+ zucchini)!?
Just made this for dinner! Absolutely delicious!
I don’t think I’ve ever told you how much I love this recipe. I make this all. the. time. Probably too much, but, whatever.
Amazing! A new instant fave… even got my husband to consider paleo
I am planning on making this dish this week. Curious as to where I can find a good recipe for homemade basil pesto??? Been looking through your site and couldn’t find it.
Hi Wendy,
I don’t think I have a traditional basil pesto recipe on my site, but Google would definitely have answers for you. Most basil pesto is just fresh basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Good luck! I hope you like this recipe!
We made stir-fry the other night and I julienne peeled the zucchini and yellow squash. At dinner, Andrew asked if I had put noodles in the stir fry! I thought it was hilarious and made a secret pact to myself that I would do this some day and not tell him (not that he would mind anyway). Then I saw your post! Sounds perfect. We’ll try this instead :)
Hey I tried this for the first time this evening and it is so good! I bought a mandelane especially and glad I did. Thanks for the recipie, I’ll definitely be using it again!
This looks delicious – I’ll be making it tonight :)
For those who don’t have a mandolin, you can also use a vegetable peeler and just peel the zucchini into long strips – it’s more of a fettucini type ‘noodle’ but still tastes great!
Yes! Thanks Jen!
This was my first experience with zucchini spaghetti. Your picture sold me on the idea. I bought an as seen on TV thing to julienne the veggie. The recipe was Amazing. I will definitely use this recipe again and continue with the veggie spaghetti. Thanks
this was delicious ! Wondering how much of the salt is ingested ?? I used a julienne tool and it worked great, also turkey bacon. Great dish.
I made this tonight & it was delicious!! I just bought the Pederno spiral vegetable slicer & it worked perfect!! Thanks for the great recipe.
Just made this. It was AMAZING. I’m on Weight Watchers and have had success substituting high-fiber pasta for regular, but this is a total game-changer. I made it with crushed tomatoes and basil to cut out the added fat in the pesto and it was delish. Thanks for sharing!
Hi! I
I ordered the progressive slicer just for this recipe…I noticed there is a thick julienne and a thin julienne option…which do you use?
Thanks!
Great, Leah!! You’ll love it. I use the thin julienne for noodles and slaws. Come to think of it, I’ve never used the thick julienne blade. Enjoy!
i made this tonight it was delicious. what a great base for pasta dishes!
Just wanted to let you know I made this for my husband and myself tonight and it was wonderful!!! I didn’t use bacon (for health reasons) so I sliced up some cherry tomatoes and mixed them with olive oil and garlic and roasted them, then also chopped some portobello mushrooms up and sautéed them in place of the bacon. Just tossed it all together in the end. It was delicious, although I’m sure the bacon is 1000x better! But we’ll definitely be having it again!
Thanks for the awesome recipe! I’m bookmarking your page! :-)
We tried this recipe today, and we absolutely loved it! I altered it a bit – we didn’t use broccoli (as it isn’t in season and I can’t find it anywhere), and added thin slices of sundried tomatoes. My boyfriend was thrilled – we will certainly make it again! A winner!
I might add we’re on a keto diet, and we live in Italy, where most people eat pasta every day, and for me this is a lifesaving substitute for all those carbs, and a great way to add extra fat in a dish, with lots of cheese,olive oil and butter fried bacon :)
Tried this last night and really liked it. I will definitely make again. Using the mandolin took the most time; everything else was a snap. I was very cautious, though. My mother hurt herself very badly on one when she tried to use it without the guard – won’t make that mistake!
I am really wanting to try this recipe but I do not have a mandolin! I do however have the kitchen aid spiralizer attachment. Do you think that would serve the same purpose?
Thanks! This recipe looks incredible.
Oh you don’t need a mandoline. I posted this before the spiralizer craze, so spiralize away with your attachment! Enjoy!