The vegan zucchini pesto was born out of a personal need. For some time I started eating pasta with vegetables every night for nutritional reasons. But always doing sautéed zucchini or broccoli to mix with the pasta began to be increasingly difficult and “boring”.
I therefore looked for a way to eat the same things but in a different form…and here is my vegan zucchini pesto, also suitable for raw food and the paleo diet because it’s made completely raw, without any animal protein. I was surprised by the creaminess of this sauce, and by how, thanks to the nuts, it seems “cheesy.” This pesto can also be used as a dipping sauce for bread and focaccia during aperitifs. It’s a quick and easy pesto to make — you’ll be impressed like I was! 😆
Below I leave you another type of pesto I made and a preparation made with the classic Genovese pesto — experiment and you won’t regret it!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: No-cook
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
- Energy 155.24 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 3.64 (g) of which sugars 0.46 (g)
- Proteins 2.71 (g)
- Fat 15.78 (g) of which saturated 2.13 (g)of which unsaturated 6.38 (g)
- Fibers 1.35 (g)
- Sodium 477.78 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the vegan zucchini pesto
The ingredients for the vegan zucchini pesto are few, but they take advantage of the oiliness and the “cheesy” flavor of macadamia nuts to replace the cheese that is usually one of the main ingredients in any type of pesto.
- 10.6 oz zucchini (firm and fresh (about 2 medium zucchinis))
- 20 leaves basil
- 1 oz pine nuts (or almonds)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1.4 oz macadamia nuts (or almonds)
- 1.25 tsp salt
- 3.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (preferably mild)
Tools
Pesto, as the name suggests, should traditionally be worked for a long time in a mortar. Everyday life, however, makes it difficult to spend so much time grinding the ingredients, so it is easier and more convenient to use a food processor or blender. I used the Bimby TM31.
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Jar
- 1 Small bowl
Preparation of the vegan zucchini pesto
Preparing the zucchini pesto is very easy and quick. I made everything raw, but if you prefer you can blanch the zucchinis before proceeding.
The important thing is to choose fresh, firm zucchinis that do not release too much water. If needed, you can try leaving them in a colander for about half an hour before proceeding.
The steps to make the vegan zucchini pesto are few and very easy, suitable for everyone. Let’s see them step by step:
First of all, wash the zucchinis and cut them into chunks, and clean the basil leaves with a damp paper towel. Then proceed to chop everything.
In the processor, add the chosen nuts (macadamia nuts are the only indispensable ones; the rest can vary), run it at maximum speed until you obtain a grainy but creamy texture. Put the mixture aside in a small bowl.
In the bowl, even leaving any fresh residue, insert the zucchinis, the garlic (optional) and the basil, and blend everything at medium-high speed.
Incorporate the nut mixture into the chopped vegetables, add a small pinch of salt and 10 grams (about 2/3 tbsp) of oil. Run the processor at low speed to combine.
With the processor running, pour the remaining oil in a steady stream to obtain the classic creaminess of pesto.
Once ready, transfer it gently into a preserving jar and cover it with oil. This keeps for a few days in the refrigerator; alternatively you can freeze it in small plastic containers in the right quantities to dress pasta — note that it should be used all at once once thawed.
Notes and tips
Vegan zucchini pesto is perfect for dressing pasta but also for tasty and alternative canapés. I also used it to dress a white pizza with zucchini blossoms — it disappeared in no time! For a fresher summer note you can use mint instead of basil, or play with the type and amount of nuts. Zucchini pesto is excellent paired with my farro sandwich loaf or a more rustic bread like my Tuscan bread. If you like, see you on Instagram!
