Basil Pesto Zucchini Pasta

Spiralized zucchini stands in for noodles here, and this dish is genuinely good on its own terms. A green basil pesto coats the noodles, and olives and artichoke hearts give the plate real body.

Zucchini is a gentle, water-rich vegetable, and the olive oil in the pesto is a source of monounsaturated fat that supports the body's ability to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in the greens. Basil brings its own aromatic oils and a little plant variety to a body that benefits from eating across the color spectrum.

Make this one beautiful on the plate. The green of the noodles, the dark olives, the pale artichoke, let it look like something you chose to make. Before you eat, take a breath and notice it. The calm you bring to the table is part of how the meal serves you.

Ingredients

• 2 large zucchini, spiralized
• 1/2 cup AIP basil pesto (basil, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, sea salt, lemon juice, optional nutritional yeast; no pine nuts, no parmesan)
• 1/4 cup black olives, chopped
• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 ounces artichoke hearts, chopped
• optional: pre-cooked shredded chicken, to turn the side into a full meal

Two source ingredients needed handling. Standard basil pesto carries pine nuts and parmesan, both off-limits on AIP, so use a compliant pesto built from basil, olive oil, garlic, sea salt, and a little lemon juice, with unfortified nutritional yeast if you want a savory depth in place of cheese; leave out the pine nuts entirely. The source also lists feta, which is dairy, so omit it; the olives and artichoke carry the salty, briny note the feta would have added.

Method

• For the warm version, warm a skillet over medium heat and add the zucchini noodles, olives, red onion, and artichoke hearts. Stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes, just until the noodles soften slightly and warm through; longer and they weep water and go limp.
• Take the pan off the heat and fold in the basil pesto so it coats everything. Add shredded chicken here if you are making it a main.
• For a chilled, pasta-salad version, skip the heat entirely. Combine the spiralized zucchini, olives, onion, artichoke, and pesto in a bowl and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*