County Carb

Dinner

Pesto Chicken Zucchini Noodles

Seared chicken bites and quick-cooked zucchini noodles tossed with a 5-minute homemade basil pesto and cherry tomatoes. On the table in 30 minutes.

  • Prep15 min
  • Cook12 min
  • Total27 min
  • Servings4
  • Net carbs*7.3 g
  • LevelEasy

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A tall nest of zucchini noodles coated in green pesto with sun-dried tomatoes on a gray plate
Photo: Andy Li, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)

This bowl tastes like summer in Italy, minus the pasta. Bite-size chicken is seared until golden, then tossed with spiralized zucchini, juicy cherry tomatoes and a fresh basil pesto you blitz together in five minutes. The pesto coats every strand and the Parmesan in it melts into the warm noodles. It is a fast weeknight dinner that still feels special.

Zucchini noodles need only a quick toss in the hot pan, about 2 minutes. Cook them longer and they collapse and flood the plate with water, which thins the pesto. Salt them lightly in a colander for 10 minutes before cooking and pat them dry. They stay springy and the sauce clings instead of sliding off.

Ingredients

Makes 4 bowls. Tap an item to check it off.

Equipment

  • Spiralizer
  • Food processor or blender
  • 12-inch skillet
  • Colander

Instructions

  1. Toss the zucchini noodles with 1/4 teaspoon salt in a colander and let them drain in the sink while you make the pesto and chicken.
  2. In a food processor, pulse the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt until finely chopped. With the motor running, pour in the 1/3 cup olive oil and blend until smooth.
  3. Season the chicken with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
  4. Cook the chicken in a single layer 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until golden and 165°F inside. Move to a bowl.
  5. Pat the zucchini noodles dry with a towel. Add them to the hot skillet and toss for 2 minutes, just until warm and barely soft.
  6. Turn off the heat. Add the chicken, tomatoes and pesto and toss until everything is coated. Serve right away.

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories
507
Total carbs
10.3 g
Fiber
3 g
Net carbs
7.3 g
Protein
40.3 g
Fat
34.5 g

*These are estimates, calculated from the ingredient weights above and USDA FoodData Central data, divided by 4 servings. Net carbs = total carbs minus fiber. Values vary with brands, quantities, ingredient swaps and how you portion the dish. How we estimate nutrition.

Kitchen tips

  • Toast the pine nuts in the dry skillet for 2 to 3 minutes before making the pesto. They taste richer and nuttier.
  • Add the pesto off the heat. Basil darkens and the cheese clumps if it cooks.

Substitutions

  • Pine nuts → walnuts Same amount. Earthier and a little cheaper; carbs stay about the same.
  • Homemade pesto → 1/2 cup store-bought pesto Check the label for sugar. The carb estimate here covers homemade only.
  • Chicken → peeled raw shrimp Same weight. Cook 2 minutes per side; slightly lower in fat.

Swaps change the nutrition estimate shown above.

Storage and reheating

Fridge
Airtight container, up to 2 days. The zucchini releases water as it sits, so drain before reheating. Extra pesto keeps 5 days under a thin layer of oil.
Freezer
Freeze extra pesto in an ice cube tray for up to 3 months. The zucchini noodles do not freeze well.
Reheat
Warm in a skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or microwave 1 minute. Eat leftovers cold as a pasta-style salad, too.

Questions cooks ask

Do I need a spiralizer?

No. Use a vegetable peeler to cut wide ribbons, or buy pre-spiralized zucchini.

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