ZUCCHINI BASIL PESTO

Zucchini Basil Pesto

Zucchini basil pesto uses grated and strained zucchini along with fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to create a bright sauce perfect for pastas, grilled fish, or chicken.

PREP TIME

10 minutes

TOTAL TIME

10 minutes

Ingredients

1 small/medium zucchini, grated

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves

2 tbsp pine nuts

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp lemon juice

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 -2 tsp of water (optional: see note)

Instructions

Add grated zucchini to a clean kitchen dish towel. twist the towel into a ball around the zucchini. Squeeze all the liquid, or as much as you can out of the zucchini. You may have to twist and squeeze the grated zucchini a few times to get as much liquid out as possible. At the end of this you should have 1 heaping cup of grated and strained zucchini.

Add the zucchini, garlic, basil, and pine nuts to the food processor. Puree until finely minced.

Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, and 2 tbsp of olive oil. Puree until smooth and creamy. Stop to scrape down the sides as needed. Add the additional olive oil if needed and puree until thinned out and creamy.

Add any additional salt or pepper if needed or water if you want a thinner sauce. Puree one more time and then store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

Sometimes measurements aren't exact and some people may like a thicker or thinner pesto based on personal preferences. If you like a thinner pesto, add a few teaspoons of water to the food processor, give it one final puree, and the sauce should thin out nicely.