I like to give credit where credit is due. The idea for this Raw Zucchini and Squash Spaghetti with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Pistachio Pesto (wow that's a mouthful) all started with my friend and yoga-guru Laura. Hi Laura!
Asheley and I headed over to her house a couple weeks ago to meet up with some old friends for a friendly (yet always competitive) game night. We really enjoyed her version of zucchini spaghetti with a classic basil pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. I was flabbergasted by the beautifully long strands of zucchini and she let me in on her dirty little secret. A spiralizer! Who else knows about this culinary witchcraft?! When I got home, I of course had to immediately order one.
This summer side dish is super light, quick, and healthy. It pretty much screams summer, and I love that I can just go into the backyard garden to grab almost all of the ingredients needed.
And it's really versatile too. Feel free to use sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped tomatoes or halved raw cherry tomatoes (although I love to roast them to intensify their sweet flavor), and just a good trusty basil pesto.
Quite frankly, I used pistachios in my pesto because a) they were staring at me in the pantry, b) pine nuts are expensive and I was feeling cheap, and c) we recently had a pistachio pesto dish at ABC Kitchen in NYC.
Walking outside to a basket full of these beauties is one of summer's greatest gifts. The sungold variety are my absolute favorite. They are sweet bundles of tomato joy and are incredibly easy to grow (I have more trouble with the red ones, for some reason).
Okay, so this spiralizer
And listen, feel free to add some shredded Parmesan cheese into your pesto as well. And some roughly torn mozzarella would be quite wonderful tossed into the mix right before serving.
PrintRaw Zucchini and Squash Spaghetti with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Pistachio Pesto
- Yield: About 6-8 servings (if using as side dish) 1x
Ingredients
- 1 Zucchini
- 1 Summer Squash
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups loosely packed basil leaves
- 1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup roasted pistachios
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling cherry tomatoes
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Using a spiralizer, create your spaghetti strands from the zucchini and summer squash. Alternatively, lay a box grater on its side, with the biggest holes facing up. Move your zucchini and summer squash lengthwise across the box grater to create long ribbons.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. On a foil-lined baking sheet, drizzle cherry tomatoes with a little olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for about 10-15 minutes, until the tomatoes have wrinkled and collapsed slightly.
- In a food processor, combine the basil, parsley, garlic, and roasted pistachios until coarsely chopped. Drizzle in olive oil and process until fully combined. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. If the pesto is too thick, add a little more olive oil until the desired consistency is reached.
- In a bowl, combine the zucchini spaghetti, roasted tomatoes (and any juice that may have spilled out onto the baking sheet during the roasting process), and pistachio pesto. Garnish with extra chopped pistachio and/or basil if desired.
Sandra
Awww...Man...now you are going to make me get a spiralizer too. The whole zucchini spaghetti thing has been on my radar for a while now but I just never got around to getting a spiralizer. This sounds like an awesome summer dish. Looks like you are also swimming in tomatoes right now too.
Chris
I'm shocked that you don't have a spiralizer! Get on that! Yes, those little cherry tomatoes are unstoppable beasts right now 🙂
Alexandra
This dish sounds wonderful... so fresh and flavorful! I love that you used such a colorful bundle of summer veggies in it. Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous - so light and airy - and I'm totally digging that spiralizer! Jealous!
Chris
Thanks Alexandra! And you totally need to get a spiralizer. They are super cool!
Cindy
Looks very summery and delicious! I love that you roasted your tomatoes. I usually just add them to the pan, but I'm sure they are so much more flavorful your way 😀 I love that nifty gadget. I haven't seen that around, but boy would it make having zucchini spaghetti so quick and easy to make.
Chris
Thanks Cindy! Don't you just love summer veggies?! I know, the spiralizer was completely foreign to me as well up until a couple weeks ago when I saw it on my friend's counter... then it had to be mine!
Nicole
This looks similar to what I had for dinner tonight ... but yours it much healthier than mine! It looks wonderful! I officially want one of those spiralizers now!
Talaia
Beautifully photographed, and looks delicious Chris! Thanks for sharing 🙂