Zucchini noodles with pesto and Little potatoes are the perfect way to use up all of your summertime produce! Healthy, delicious side dish. Thank you to The Little Potato Company for helping me share this recipe with you.
Zucchini noodles with pesto and Little potatoes epitomize summer! In our old neighborhood, there was a running joke about zucchini season - don't leave your car door unlocked or you may find a bagful or two of the prolific summer veggie on your car seat. Everyone's vegetable garden overflowed by the middle of August and we couldn't eat the zucchini fast enough to compensate. Even now I'm still in the habit of coming up with new zucchini recipes whenever I can.
This side dish is inspired by a classic Italian recipe call Trenette al Pesto, which combines fettuccine-like noodles (that's the trenette) with basil pesto, potatoes and fresh green beans. In the spirit of lightening up our meals, I swapped out the pasta with spiralized zucchini noodles.
When I first made this version of Trenette al Pesto, I turned to my favorite Little potatoes from The Little Potato Company, knowing they would be the perfect size (no chopping required!). Plus, you can't beat their flavor and ease of preparation. The Oven/Grill Ready Creamer potatoes are particularly handy when the grill is already on the go for weekend barbecues with friends. Mix them with some olive oil and the enclosed seasoning packet, and slip the metal tray right onto the grill.
Tips for making these zucchini noodles with pesto:
- For this recipe, I used the Garlic Herb Oven Grill Ready Little Potatoes from The Little Potato Company. The garlic herb flavor mixes well with the pesto, though the onion & chive flavor would be another good option. I used only half of the seasoning package because of the added seasoning in this dish (pesto, garlic, etc.)
- Alternatively, use any of the bagged Creamer potato varietals from The Little Potato Company. Toss them with olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and roast them in the oven.
- There are a number of spiralizers available both online and in most stores that sell cooking appliances. I use the spiralizing and peeling attachment that is available for KitchenAid mixers. However, there are also many stand-alone spiralizers available.
- To avoid watery zucchini noodles, place the noodles in a colander set over a bowl, then salt the noodles. Let them rest for about 30 minutes, then squeeze the noodles in a clean kitchen towel to release an excess moisture.
- Zucchini noodles take just a few minutes to cook, and are best when cooked just to the tender-crisp stage. If they are overcooked, the thinner sections of the noodles become soft and start to disintegrate.
Can zucchini noodles be made ahead?
- Making zucchini noodles ahead of time is a great way to get a jump start on meal prep.
- Spiralize the zucchini noodles, then transfer them to a storage container lined with paper towel. Refrigerate the noodles until you're ready to use them.
- Before cooking the noodles, pat them dry with paper towel.
- I recommend cooking the noodles immediately before serving them. Zucchini noodles release liquid when re-cooked, producing a soggy dish. Plus, see my tip in the section above for leaching out extra moisture before cooking.
Other Creamer potato recipes:
Caprese Potato Salmon Foil Packets {Cookin' Canuck}
Buffalo Grilled Potato Skewers {Cookin' Canuck}
Cajun Potato & Sausage Kabobs {Delicious Knowledge}
Steak & Little Potato Foil Packets {Noshing with the Nolands}
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Zucchini Noodles with Pesto and Little Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound Oven Grill Ready Garlic Herb Potatoes by the Little Potato Company (½ seasoning packet only)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces green beans, trimmed & cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
- Salt and pepper, to taste*
- Pinch of red chili flakes, optional*
- Grated Parmesan cheese, optional*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 424 degrees F. Alternatively, heat the grill to medium-high.
- Remove the plastic film from the potato packaging and set the seasoning packet aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and half of the seasoning package to the potato tray. Stir to coat the potatoes. Discard the seasoning packet or save it for another use.
- Place the uncovered tray in the oven or on the grill. Cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the zucchini noodles. Cut each zucchini in half crosswise. Run the zucchini through the spiralizer to produce noodles.
- Place the noodles in a colander set over a bowl and sprinkle them with about ½ teaspoon kosher salt, tossing to coat. Let them rest for 20 to 30 minutes to allow some of the moisture to leach out, then squeeze the zucchini noodles in a clean kitchen towel to release additional moisture.
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the green beans and arrange in a single layer on the bottom of the skillet. Cook, stirring once, until the green beans are just tender and browned in some places, about 3 minutes.
- Push the greens beans to one side of the skillet and add the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to the empty portion of the skillet. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add the zucchini noodles. Cook, tossing with tongs, until the noodles are just tender. Take care not to overcook, otherwise the smaller zucchini noodles will begin to fall part.
- Stir in the potatoes, pesto, salt (taste first before adding), pepper and red chili flakes (if desired). Toss to coat.
- Serve immediately with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
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