This Creamy Chicken and Avocado Pesto Zoodles recipe is the perfect, healthy date night meal! Perfectly cooked zucchini “pasta” tossed with grilled chicken and blistered tomatoes in a super creamy avocado pesto sauce.
Great low-carb and gluten-free meal option!
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CREAMY ZOODLES
Zoodles have been a favorite in this household for many years now. I would say that I am going on 7 years with having my Spiralizer. I wasn’t even sure what it was when I received it as a gift for Christmas one year.
But I have been making dishes like Garlic Honey Lime Shrimp and Zoodles, Crispy Baked Chicken Parmesan Zoodle Bowls, and Grilled Chicken Cauliflower Alfredo with Zucchini Noodles ever since! It’s a fabulous little tool that can spiralize almost any vegetable.
Whether you’re new to trying zucchini noodles or not, there is nothing to fear with making this dish. It comes together easier and quicker than you may think thanks to a food processor and vegetable spiralizer. This recipe is perfect because it is not only super filling, but very healthy!
Although you cannot truly replace pasta in a recipe, zucchini noodles do fill the pasta shoes pretty well. I am fine with alternatives when I know I have been living in a carb coma for too long and I need to lighten things up a bit and start introducing more vegetables into my life.
This recipe can also be altered to fit your dietary needs!
THIS FOR THAT – TIPS FOR SWAPPING
- You can replace the chicken breast with shrimp or make it meatless by omitting the meat entirely.
- Half and half can be replaced with regular milk. Dairy-free options: full-fat coconut milk or a nut milk such as almond or cashew will work, too.
- Butter (to pan fry the chicken) can be replaced with olive oil.
- Nutritional yeast can be used in place of the parmesan cheese.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE:
Full recipe can be found via the printable recipe card below. Scroll down! 🙂
- Zucchini
- Cherry tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Minced garlic
- Half and half (or milk of choice)
- Avocados
- Basil pesto (store bought or your own homemade)
- Parmesan cheese (can sub with nutritional yeast)
- Lemon juice – freshly squeezed
- Salt and pepper
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (can sub with shrimp or go meat-free!)
- Garlic powder
- Butter (can sub with olive oil)
HELPFUL TIPS AND ANSWERS:
- PASTA: If you’re not a fan of zucchini “noodles” (zoodles), then you can use regular pasta instead!
- NUT ALLERGY: You can make this nut-free by using a nut-free pesto sauce. Be sure to check the labels, as most pesto sauces use pine nuts.
- MEAL PREP: I would not recommend this as a dish to be meal prepped as the avocados tend to turn rather quickly. This sauce utilizes lemon juice not only for flavor but to help preserve the avocado.
- SHELF LIFE: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- ZUCCHINI: To prevent super soggy or lifeless zoodles, I recommend two things:
– After the zucchini has been spiralized, lay out the zoodles onto a few paper towels. The paper towels will absorb some of the water from the zoodles while they sit prior to cooking.
– Do NOT overcook them. Pan fry on medium-high heat with olive oil for 2-3 minutes, leaning more towards 2 minutes. Zoodles cook quickly and will continue to cook for a bit once you have removed the pan from the heat.
TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS ZOODLE DISH
MORE VEGETABLE PACKED RECIPES TO TRY
- Sheet Pan Lemon Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables
- Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Easy Cauliflower Broccoli Egg Fried Rice
- Healthy Garden Chicken Salad
- Five Ingredient Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Zucchini Boats
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Creamy Chicken and Avocado Pesto Zoodles
Ingredients:
- 4 medium zucchini, (spiralized)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, (or grape tomatoes)
Avocado Pesto Sauce:
- 2 medium avocados, (peeled and pited)
- 1 1/4 cup half and half, (sub with milk of choice)
- 2 tbsp basil pesto
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, (freshly squeezed)
- 2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic, (minced)
- salt, (to taste)
Chicken:
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (cut into thin strips)
- salt and pepper, (to taste)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp light butter, (can sub with olive oil)
Instructions:
- Prepare the zoodles using your Spiralizer. Fan out onto a few paper towels to absorb some water and set aside.
- Place a large, nonstick pan or skillet on medium heat with butter. Once the butter has melted and started to bubble, add the seasoned chicken breast strips. Cook chicken 2-3 minutes and then flip to cook 2-3 minutes on the other side. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F using a meat thermometer. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- While the chicken is cooking, combine all ingredients for the sauce into a food processor. Process until it reaches a smooth and creamy consistency. Season with salt, to taste.
- Once you have removed the chicken from the pan, add the cherry tomatoes to cook for 3-5 minutes (if desired). Make sure to stir or shake the pan lightly to cook the tomatoes thoroughly. Cook just until the skin has wrinkled. Remove to the same plate with the chicken and re-cover.
- Place pan back over medium-high heat with olive oil. Once the oil is heated, add the zoodles and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring while it cooks. Add the avocado pesto sauce to the zoodles, toss to coat and allow to cook 1 minute to warm the sauce and melt the parmesan cheese. Add the chicken and tomatoes back to re-warm.
- Serve garnished with freshly chopped basil, parmesan cheese, and a fresh squeeze of lemon juice.
Notes:
- PASTA: If you're not a fan of zucchini "noodles" (zoodles), then you can use regular pasta instead!
- NUT ALLERGY: You can make this nut-free by using a nut-free pesto sauce. Be sure to check the labels, as most pesto sauces use pine nuts.
- MEAL PREP: I would not recommend this as a dish to be meal prepped as the avocados tend to turn rather quickly. This sauce utilizes lemon juice not only for flavor but to help preserve the avocado.
- SHELF LIFE: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- ZUCCHINI: To prevent super soggy or lifeless zoodles, I recommend two things:
- After the zucchini has been spiralized, lay out the zoodles onto a few paper towels. The paper towels will absorb some of the water from the zoodles while they sit prior to cooking.
- Do NOT overcook them. Pan fry on medium-high heat with olive oil for 2-3 minutes, leaning more towards 2 minutes. Zoodles cook quickly and will continue to cook for a bit once you have removed the pan from the heat.
How much regular pasta would we use instead of zoodles?
This recipe makes 4 servings, so you would cook enough pasta for 2 servings, as the sauce will be soaked up a bit by the pasta which will result in the sauce thickening a bit as it sits in the pasta.
This was delicious! My whole family enjoyed it, thank you!
So happy you and your family enjoyed this! Thank you so much for your feedback!!