I think I have a new favorite recipe! I used to say that my Lettuce Burritos were my favorite, but they may have to move over…or at least make room in the recipe rotation for my Low Carb Chicken Pesto Zoodles!
This dish makes me feel like I am having an Italian dinner. I can even spin the zoodles on my fork! I was inspired by Green Giant’s Veggie Spirals. These make it so easy to use zoodles in my cooking. I don’t have to prep anything. I just steam them in the microwave, drain, and serve!
I have even developed an Ideal Protein friendly pesto, that is nut and dairy-free, for those on phase 1 of the diet. Or if you are fine with nuts and dairy, you could easily make this with your own pesto recipe or pick up your favorite jar pesto.
Low Carb Chicken Pesto Zoodles
Recipe by: Jamie Boden at My Beautiful Ideal
Ingredients
- 2 cups basil (fresh)
- 1 cup baby spinach (fresh)
- 1 tbsp garlic
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp pepper, divided
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breasts, diced
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 packages frozen zoodles
Directions
For the pesto:
- Add basil, spinach, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and half of the olive oil into a food processor or blender.
- Blend for 2-3 minutes, until everything is smooth. You may have to add additional olive oil to get your desired consistency. You don’t want the pesto to be too thick.
- Set complete pesto aside.
For the chicken and zoodles:
- Heat a large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat.
- Season chicken with the remaining salt and pepper.
- Add to pan and cook until chicken is browned on all sides and cooked through.
- While chicken is cooking prepare zoodles accordingly to package. Make sure to drain.
- After the chicken is fully cooked. Add the prepared pesto and tomatoes and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- In a large bowl combine chicken/pesto mixture and zoodles.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition: Calories 590, Protein 57g, Carbohydrate 16g, Dietary Fiber 5g, Total Sugars 7g, Total Fat 34g.
I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I do. There is nothing like some healthy comfort food to get you through the winter. What veggie swaps do you make in your cooking? What comfort food have you found ways to make healthier? I would love to hear from you!
[…] Pasta – with zoodles getting more popular this is an easy meal to cook for the two of us. He gets regular pasta, I get zoodles and we top it with whatever protein/veggie option we are feeling. Some times its meatballs in tomato sauce and other times its chicken and pesto. […]
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