Zoodles with Chicken & Pesto
Pesto coats spiralized zucchini differently than it coats pasta. The strands are wetter, thinner, and the basil clings to every surface instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Add chicken browned in olive oil and warm cherry tomatoes, and the whole plate comes together in fifteen minutes flat. 376 calories, 25 grams of protein, 16 grams of carbs, and nothing that needed more than a few minutes of heat.
Pesto coats spiralized zucchini differently than it coats pasta. The strands are wetter, thinner, and the basil clings to every surface instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Add chicken browned in olive oil and warm cherry tomatoes, and the whole plate comes together in fifteen minutes flat. 376 calories, 25 grams of protein, 16 grams of carbs, and nothing that needed more than a few minutes of heat.
Ingredients
- chicken breast 3 ounces
- olive oil 1 tablespoon
- zucchini 1
- cherry tomatoes 6
- pesto 3 teaspoons
Method
-
Cut the chicken breast into cubes and mix with the oil. Season with pepper and salt.
-
Cook the chicken in a wok over medium heat until it is cooked through and slightly browned.
-
Meanwhile, wash the zucchini and use a spiralizer to make spaghetti strands. Halve the tomatoes.
-
Add the tomatoes to the chicken and cook for 1 minute.
-
Finally, add the zucchini spaghetti and pesto. Mix everything together well and cook over high heat for 1 minute.
Spiralized zucchini releases water the moment it hits a hot pan. Keep the heat high and the time short — one minute is enough to warm the strands without turning the bowl into soup.
Behind this recipe
Can I use regular pasta instead of zucchini noodles?
Yes, but the macros change significantly. Eighty grams of dry spaghetti adds roughly 56 grams of carbs, bringing the plate from 16 grams to over 70. Protein and fat stay about the same. Worth it when the extra carbs fit your daily target.
Does the type of pesto matter?
Any basil pesto works. Jarred pesto tends to have more oil and salt than fresh, so the fat count may shift by a gram or two. Red pesto (sun-dried tomato based) changes the flavor profile entirely and adds a few more carbs.
Should I salt the zucchini first to remove water?
Not for this recipe. Salting and draining takes twenty to thirty minutes and removes volume along with moisture. The one-minute high-heat finish in step five is fast enough that the zucchini stays firm without pre-salting.
