• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cotter Crunch

Cotter Crunch

Delicious Healthy Gluten Free Recipes

  • Recipes
    • By Diet
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Grain Free
      • Low Carb
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Whole 30
    • By Type
      • Breakfasts
      • Casseroles
      • Condiments
      • Desserts
      • Drinks
      • Sides and Salads
      • Slow Cooker & Instant Pot
      • Snacks and Appetizers
      • Stews and Soups
    • Quick Meals
    • Videos
  • Meal Plans
  • Shop
    • Cookbook
    • Favorite Products
    • eBooks
    • Printables
  • About
  • Start Here
Home › Recipes › By Diet › Gluten Free

Roasted Poblano Pesto Zoodles {Low Carb}

by Lindsay Cotter · 04/26/2018

GFDairy FreeLow CarbVegan
Jump to Recipe
★★★★★ 5 from 10 reviews

Pesto zoodles with roasted poblanos are a light, tasty take on pesto pasta.  A low carb, gluten-free, vegetarian recipe to make for an easy weeknight dinner. There’s a vegan option, too! With arugula, poblano peppers, basil, and cilantro, this pesto has some zippy heat and incredible summery taste.

plate of zucchini noodles tossed with spicy roasted pepper pesto Low carb roasted poblano Pesto Zoodles - vegetarian #lowcarb #zucchini #pesto #vegetarian

Poblano pesto zoodles, OMG delicious and just pure genius! That roasted poblano pesto… I CAN’T EVEN BEGIN to describe my love.

You see, I’ve been on a fresh, light food kick for a few weeks now. Well, minus the barbecue gluten-free meatloaf. But I think it’s about time to shed some of that winter worry and get back to what matters – family, and good, fresh, healthy food. Am I right?

Maybe now that the husband is coming home I should try to lay off the cookie dough for a while. If you missed that confession, just check out my behind-the-scenes post on Instagram. Haha!

And just in time for all that light, fresh spring food comes my friend Jessica Merchant’s (How Sweet Eats) new cookbook, The Pretty Dish. Just from the cover, it’s stunning. I mean, WOW! Bright, beautiful, happy photography and totally DELICIOUS food!

The Pretty Dish cookbook cover

Of course, I went straight for the poblano pesto zoodles because I’m on a HUGE pesto kick. Um, just wait till next week and you’ll see why. Anyways, this sounded outrageously good and GAH, it sure delivered. With a little heat from the poblanos and an infusion of herby flavor from arugula, basil, and cilantro, it tasted fresh, summery, and a little zippy.

On a side note, this pesto zoodles recipes happens to be one of the most made recipes on Pretty Dish so far!

I don’t blame everyone for wanting to make this pesto zoodles dish. I’m keeping it on rotation all summer here at the Cotter household.

Now let’s talk more about Jessica’s book.

The Pretty Dish Cookbook

The Pretty Dish is one of those cookbooks full of healthy comfort foods. There’s a lot packed in, so you’ll always find something to make. By the way, that hummus is soooo amazing! Oatmeal station? Yup, Jessica’s on it. She’s also got a DIY beauty section, and I’m eyeing the face scrub recipe. Believe me, there’s MORE. The Pretty Dish has a little of everything you’d want in a cookbook. It’s FUN, pretty, and healthy – what more could you ask for?

roasted poblano pesto zoodles

And, just to encourage any pesto-haters, you’ll want to give this poblano pesto recipe a try. I have a friend who is a pesto-hater, seriously, and she totally fell in LOVE when I made her the pesto zoodles.

Just in case you like it when I get all nutritional nerdy on you, this pesto pasta is loaded with vitamin C and powerful antioxidants.  So go make this AMAZING pesto, you will love it, too!

Ingredients in this Pesto Zoodles recipe:

Made with simple Ingredients you probably already have …

  • Poblano Peppers
  • Olive oil
  • Parmesan (Vegans sub with Nutritional Yeast)
  • Basil
  • Argula
  • Salt and pepper
  • Lemon
  • Garlic

Making roasted Poblano pesto in a food processor homemade spicy pesto in a food processor

Plus you can use it in more than just zoodles. Maybe poblano pesto potato salad should be made next. Thoughts? Um, yes!

vegetarian dinner of zucchini noodle pasta with spicy pesto sauce

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Pesto Zoodles with Roasted Poblanos


★★★★★

5 from 10 reviews

  • Author: Lindsay Cotter
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Roasted Poblano Pesto Zoodles are a light, tasty take on pesto pasta, perfect for a spring or summer meal.  A low carb, gluten-free, vegetarian dish to make for an easy weeknight dinner.


Ingredients

Scale

Poblano Pesto:

  • 2 poblano peppers
  • 1/2 cup fresh arugula
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Or Nutritional Yeast for Vegan option)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil

Zoodles

  • 2 medium zucchini squash
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • Torn fresh basil, for topping
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping (Nutritional Yeast for Vegan option)

Instructions

To Make the Poblano Pesto:

  1. To roast the poblano peppers, preheat your oven’s broiler.
  2. Remove the core and seeds from the peppers and slice into pieces. Lay the pieces on a baking sheet. Broil skin side up for about 10 minutes, or until the skins are completely charred and black. Broiling time can vary, so check every 2 minutes or so. Immediately remove the peppers from the oven and use kitchen tongs to quickly place them in a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and set aside for 20 to 30 minutes, or until softened.
  3. Remove the peppers from the bag. Peel off and discard the skin. It’s okay if a little bit of char remains as it adds to the flavor.
  4. In a food processor, combine the peppers, arugula, basil, cilantro, Parmesan, salt and black pepper. Process until the mixture is combined, then stream in the olive oil with the processor running.

To Make the Zoodles:

  1. Spiralize the zucchini into noodles.
  2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the lemon juice. Add the zoodles and toss well to coat.
  3. Cook, tossing often, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the zoodles soften slightly. Add in the poblano pesto and toss well. Cook for 5 minutes, or until warmed.
  4. Serve immediately with basil and Parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast).

Notes

Vegan option: Replace the parmesan in the pesto with nutritional yeast

Tip: If you’re just getting into zucchini noodles, try combining them with gluten-free pasta. Use half regular gluten free pasta, half zucchini noodles, and toss. It’s a great way to incorporate more veggies and lighten up the meal.

Adapted from The Pretty Dish Cookbook

  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Category: main
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: pesto, zoodles, zucchini noodles, roasted peppers

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @cottercrunch on Instagram and hashtag it #cottercrunch

Alright my friends, have a lovely weekend! I will catch up next week when the Superfood Meal plan challenge starts.

For now, I’m off to Napa for a conference and to celebrate the Kiwi’s 36th bday!! Wow, we’re old, but in a fresh kind of way.

low carb zucchini noodles tossed with roasted poblano pesto

 

Favorite type of pesto? Hook me up!

Cheers!

Lindsay Cotter - Cotter Crunch

 

Roasted Poblano pesto zoodles are a light, fresh tasty take on pesto. Perfect for a low carb spring or summer meal. #vegetarian #lowcarb #healthy

1931 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Categories: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Low Carb, Main Dishes, Sides and Salads, Vegan, Vegetarian Tags: pasta, pesto, vegetables, zoodles, zucchini, zucchini noodles

You May Also Like...

cashew satay spiralized vegetables stir fry update
Spiralized Vegetable Stir Fry (Vegan Options)
plate of Instant Pot spaghetti squash pasta with nomato sauce and dairy free Parmesan cheese
Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash Pasta
bowl of turkey chow fun zucchini noodles stir fry
Turkey Chow Fun Tamari Zoodles Stir Fry
overhead image: Cajun smoked salmon on top of healthy spring salad
Smoked Salmon Zucchini Noodles Salad
Lindsay Cotter of Cotter Crunch

Hi, y'all, I’m Lindsay Cotter, a Nutrition Specialist with a focus on Gluten Free eating. I love creating delicious nourishing food that anyone can enjoy.

About · Studio · Shop · Contact
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube

Have a question? Use ctrl+f or ⌘+f on your computer or the “find on page” function on your phone browser to search existing comments!

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Rate & Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Pauline says

    11/29/2019 at 12:44 AM

    This sounds tasty but my partner is not so keen on the flavour of nutritional yeast is there another substitute I could use for the parmesan please?

    Reply
  2. Nancy says

    08/24/2019 at 7:06 AM

    Oh my. Made these too and loved them.
    Question. Can you make zoodles and freeze them so you don’t have to pull out your spiralizer every time or will that compromise the flavor

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lindsay Cotter says

      08/24/2019 at 12:06 PM

      Good question! I would freeze the sauce separate then reheat when ready to use with noodles. But if you want to try making it and freezing it all together, go for it. Maybe reheat in oven vs microwave. Just a thought

      Reply
  3. Danielle Wolter says

    01/14/2019 at 3:07 PM

    I ma so in love with all things poblano so am very excited about this recipe! And this cookbook too – I’ve been seeing it all over the place I think I need to buy it! And also buy a spiralizer 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lindsay Cotter says

      01/15/2019 at 11:30 AM

      Yay! Yes, Jessica’s book is amazing!! Let me know if you buy it!

      Reply
  4. Misrii - Homemade Food says

    07/20/2018 at 1:47 AM

    Looks amazing and delicious ! Love the flavors.

    Reply
  5. Katie says

    07/10/2018 at 1:49 PM

    That looks amazing! Our zoodles always come out a little soggy. Any helpful tips?

    Reply
    • Lindsay Cotter says

      07/10/2018 at 11:16 PM

      So here’s my trick! Slightly bake your zoodles. Place on baking sheet at 400F for 10 minutes. Let me know if you try it!

      Reply
      • Katie says

        07/17/2018 at 7:44 PM

        Awesome! We will give that a try next time!

        Reply
  6. Kelly says

    06/04/2018 at 5:08 PM

    The pesto is totally delicious! My really wanted leftovers (to bring in to work for lunch) so we doubled everything. I’m not sure that only 2 zucchini would have been enough for us two adults to eat.It shrank a good deal while cooking. I cooked up some pork chorizo and sprinkled a couple spoonfuls on top when everything was served and it turned out great.

    Thank you for the yummy recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lindsay Cotter says

      06/05/2018 at 10:56 AM

      Oh I love it! great idea with the chorizo. I bet that tasted AMAZING!!!

      Reply
  7. shell shockers says

    05/11/2018 at 9:25 AM

    Looks delicious and attractive, thank you for sharing the recipe I will learn to do it

    Reply
  8. hazel says

    05/11/2018 at 7:12 AM

    This really looks very tasty

    Reply
  9. William Smith says

    05/07/2018 at 2:21 PM

    I would like to cook this one to impress my wife!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lindsay Cotter says

      05/08/2018 at 11:41 AM

      she will most definitely be impressed! 😉

      Reply
  10. Gaby Dalkin says

    04/30/2018 at 8:09 PM

    Always in the mood for pesto!!

    Reply
  11. E S says

    04/30/2018 at 1:27 PM

    Pesto is one of my favorite dishes in the entire world, but I’ve never done it on zoodles. I’m kind of eyeing your cookbook for a birthday request, but now this one looks amazing too.

    Reply
  12. Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets says

    04/28/2018 at 12:13 PM

    I’ve got a pesto pasta recipe coming up….hopefully next week, although I’ve been saying that for three weeks now. Oops. Anyway, I love your spin on it with zoodles and poblano peppers. Mine involves goat cheese. 🙂

    Reply
  13. gerry speirs says

    04/27/2018 at 5:02 PM

    Holy wow! These look and sound so awesome!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  14. Erin says

    04/27/2018 at 10:58 AM

    That sauce is amazing!! Poblanos have so much flavor!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lindsay Cotter says

      04/27/2018 at 10:56 PM

      totally agree! so much flavor!

      Reply
  15. Jennifer Farley says

    04/26/2018 at 8:08 PM

    Yum! Zoodles are so much fun!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  16. Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says

    04/26/2018 at 8:06 PM

    Bro. I love that you’re on the zoodle train and that you’ve gotten ME back on the zoodle train. Love this pesto add. I wanna put an egg all over this!

    Reply
  17. Suzy says

    04/26/2018 at 2:46 PM

    Looks amazing! Love the flavors.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  18. Jennifer Blake says

    04/26/2018 at 12:42 PM

    I think my family would love this pesto… maybe even enough to get them to eat the zoodles!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  19. Cassie Tran says

    04/26/2018 at 10:33 AM

    Wow, I love how easy this recipe looks! The vegan option for the pesto sounds heavenly with the zucchini noodles. My mother also sautes her zucchini noodles in a little olive oil with onions and garlic. It tastes so heavenly and I prefer zoodles cooked this way over raw!

    Reply
    • Cotter Crunch says

      04/26/2018 at 4:39 PM

      That sounds divine! Love that simple sauté Cassie!

      Reply
    • Cotter Crunch says

      04/26/2018 at 4:40 PM

      Ps like mother like daughter right? ?

      Reply
  20. Liz S says

    04/26/2018 at 9:03 AM

    You and Jessica are the best 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lindsay Cotter says

      04/26/2018 at 9:22 AM

      no YOU ARE! <3

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Lindsay Cotter of Cotter Crunch

Hi, y'all, I’m Lindsay Cotter, a Nutrition Specialist with a focus on Gluten Free eating. I love creating delicious nourishing food that anyone can enjoy.

About · Studio · Shop · Contact
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube

Reader Favorites

  • photo collage of dairy-free gluten-free anti-inflammatory meal plan recipes
    Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan {Dairy Free, Gluten-Free Recipes & Tips}
  • cinnamon bites in bowl - no bake protein bites
    Cinnamon Vanilla Protein Breakfast Bites + Video
  • bowl of vegan kale soup with curried vegetables
    Curried Cauliflower Rice Kale Soup {Vegan, Whole30}
  • gluten free roux pin
    How to Make Gluten Free Roux for Keto Sauces + Soups
  • stack of dried orange slices on white background
    Dried Orange Slices (Oven or Dehydrator)
  • overhead photo: cranberry balsamic chicken on a baking sheet with serving spoon
    Cranberry Balsamic Roasted Chicken {Paleo} + VIDEO
Cotter Crunch
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter
YouTube
About · Studio · Shop · Contact

Recipes by Diet

  • Dairy Free
  • Gluten Free
  • Grain Free
  • Low Carb
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Whole 30

Recipes by Type

  • Breakfasts
  • Casseroles
  • Desserts
  • Drinks
  • Main Dishes
  • Sides & Salads
  • Snacks & Appetizers

More

  • Meal Plans
  • Quick Meals
  • Recipes with Video
  • Recipe Round Ups
  • Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Shop
  • About
  • Start Here

Copyright © 2022 · Cotter Crunch · Disclaimer & Terms · Privacy Policy

1931 shares