For Christmas, we got a spiralizer. Now, truth be told, this is our second spiralizer…but I never even used the first one. It sat around taking up space for months, and when we cleaned out the kitchen last year, I tossed it in the “donate” bin and didn’t think twice about it. A few months later, I wanted to try a 21 day fix zoodles recipe and I regretted my choice to toss the spiralizer (new to zoodles? They’re just zucchini “noodles” made with a spiralizer tool).
But it’s all good because we have a new one, woohoo! And this time, I’m making it work for me.
{side note: wondering what zoodles are? They’re zucchini “noodles” – you can read all about them here. You can buy a spiralizer here.}
It’s way more fun than I expected, and I can’t wait to try ALL KINDS OF RECIPES. But I had something really specific in mind for my first recipe.
We like to eat at Houlihan’s. They have a spiralizer menu, and there used to be a zoodle recipe on it that I loved. It had artichoke hearts, and basil, and red peppers and lots of other deliciousness that I thought I could recreate easily enough. So this is really a copycat recipe, but I think I did a pretty good job. And BONUS – it’s super 21 Day Fix-friendly!
Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- 3 zucchini
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 tomato (although I *might* leave it out next time…more on that below)
- 8 tsps (around 2.5 T) Pesto (store-bought, or make your own with this 21 Day Fix pesto recipe)
- Whole artichoke hearts
- Lemon
- 1 cup spinach
- Fresh basil (a handful or so is all you need)
- Optional: black olives and pine nuts (I didn’t use these, but thought they would be good!)
See the recipe below for the full instructions. A couple of notes, though. Some of the foods in this recipe have a lot of moisture in them (zucchini, tomato, artichoke hearts). Be thorough about draining the artichoke hearts. Also, you might want to use a paper towel to press some of the water out of the zoodles (you can see lots of helpful hints for preparing zoodles here). I feel like next time I will leave the tomato out, for the same reason…it felt a little soggy. Good, but kinda wet.
This recipe, prepared, makes 4-5 servings (this could vary based on the size of your zucchini!). Sometimes in the summer months zucchini are huge! If that’s the case just use your common sense and measure out 1 cup portions for the Fix!
If you’re on the 21 Day Fix:
Each servings size is one green container.
Each serving equals one green and 2 tsp (this is roughly calculated on the amount of pesto and oil that is used and how it is spread out across the servings.
If you’re not on the 21 Day Fix:
Enjoy this delicious recipe anyway, because this is super tasty! This is also a good recipe to consider if you are low carb and cutting out traditional pasta! It’s not just for 21 Day Fix. All that means is that it is made with whole food ingredients and is healthy!
If you are on Weight Watchers:
If you are on Weight Watchers you can follow the plan with these points for each color coded plan. I calculated this recipe for about 5 servings when I made it. If your recipe makes more than 5 cups you can probably recalculate and get more accurate points!
Weight Watchers Points (1 serving = about 1 Cup)
Purple plan: 2 points
Green plan: 2 points
Blue plan: 2 points
21 Day Fix Pesto Zoodles
Ingredients
- 3 zucchini
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 to mato
- 8 tsps around 2.5 T Pesto
- Canned whole artichoke hearts
- 1/2 Lemon
- 1 cup spinach
- 2 tsp olive oil
- Fresh basil a handful or so is all you need
- Optional: black olives and pine nuts I didn't use these, but thought they would be good!
Instructions
- Dice the red bell pepper and tomato. Chop the basil and open the can of artichoke hearts. Let those drain in a colander (you may want to chop those, too...that's up to you!).
- Use a spiralizer to create your zoodles. Once your noodles are cut, wrap them up in paper towel and squeeze to get any excess water out.
- In a pan, sautee the bell pepper and tomato with 2 tsp olive oil until soft. Once your bell peppers and tomatoes are ready, add the zoodles, basil, spinach and artichoke hearts to the pan. Sautee together until your zoodles are soft (2-3 minutes or so).
- Pour into a bowl. Squeeze half a lemon over the top. Add 8 tsps of pesto, and salt and pepper to taste (but go easy on salt if you're on the Fix!).
- Cover and chill in the fridge for several hours.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I’d love to know what your favorite zoodle recipes are!
Here are some others I can’t wait to try: Basil Curry Zoodles with Asian Meatballs and Chicken Pad Thai Zoodles. Yum!
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Oh goodness, this looks tasty!! I just got a zoodler for Christmas and have been having so much fun making noodles out of zucchini and everything else I can think of. Can’t wait to try this!
You’re going to love it!! I use mine several times a week now…for lunch I’ll turn a zucchini into zoodles and sautee with some olive oil for a few minutes…it tastes so much better that way!
I just ordered mine! Can’t wait! Wonderful recipes here! xo
You’re going to love it!