This Pesto Pasta Salad recipe is made with spiralized zucchini, fresh mozzarella, summer sausage, peppadews and pesto. It’s the perfect side dish for summer and fits nicely into low carb, keto and gluten free diets.
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During the hottest months of the year, I crave lighter, plant-based dishes made with colorful ingredients and bright flavors. This recipe for keto pesto pasta salad checks off all the boxes and is one of my favorites to prepare.
This verdant side dish is a celebration of the summer’s bounty, featuring basil pesto and fresh produce, such as zucchini and cherry tomatoes.
Like my Keto Pasta Salad recipe, this salad is composed of the same ingredients which highlight the flavorful basil pesto used to dress the zucchini noodles.
Why This Recipe Works
Since this recipe requires no cooking at all, it is an easy dish to assemble last minute to serve as a side at a summer barbecue.
Not only is keto pesto pasta salad a quick preparation but it tastes delicious served chilled or at room temperature, making it a versatile menu item for your next cookout.
Using spiralized zucchini to replace pasta keeps this recipe low carb, gluten free and keto friendly. Basil pesto gives this dish its fresh aroma and is a healthy, flavorful option to use as a sauce.
How To Make Zucchini Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- Zucchini: Fresh zucchini is strongly recommended for this recipe.
- Pesto: Basil pesto homemade or store bought.
- Mozzarella: mozzarella pearls or cut from a log (fresh is best)
- Summer Sausage: alternatively use pepperoni or salami
- Peppadews: or pepperoncini
- Cherry Tomatoes: optional
The entire recipe and instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can also print the recipe from the card, if needed.
Prep!
The prep work for this recipe involves a bit of chopping and mixing.
You will first want to spiralize the zucchini. You can use a hand-held spiralizer or an electric one. I use a spiralizer attachment on my blender.
You can also buy spiralized zucchini, also known as zoodles, in the produce section of some grocery stores. I do not recommend using frozen zucchini for this recipe.
Dice the summer sausage and peppers.
Create!
Combine the zucchini and pesto in a large bowl and toss gently until the zucchini is evenly coated.
Chef’s Tip: Add half zoodles, half pesto and stir. Repeat with second half to evenly coat the zoodles better.
Fold in the mozzarella cheese, summer sausage and peppers.
Present!
Serve cold or room temperature. Top with cherry tomatoes, if desired.
Tips and Techniques
- Fresh zucchini works best for this recipe.
- Use a hand-held spiralizer or an electric one to make your zucchini noodles.
- This side dish is best made fresh. Leftovers may become soggy, so it’s not recommended to store longer than a day.
FAQ’s
Can You Eat Zucchini Raw?
Yes, you can absolutely eat zucchini raw. It doesn’t have a very strong flavor at all so it’s an especially great base for salads and chilled summer side dishes.
How Many Carbs Are In Zucchini?
Zucchini has just 4 grams of total carbohydrates in one medium vegetable. After subtracting 2 grams of fiber, there are just 4 grams of net carbs in a medium zucchini.
More Low Carb Summer Dish Recipes
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Zucchini Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds zucchini (spiralized)
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (diced or use pearls)
- 1 cup summer sausage (diced small, can use pepperoni or salami)
- 1/4 cup Peppadew peppers (diced small, can use pepperoncini)
- cherry tomatoes (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the zucchini and pesto in a large bowl and toss gently until the zucchini is evenly coated.
- Fold in the mozzarella cheese, summer sausage and peppers.
- Serve cold or room temperature. Top with cherry tomatoes, if desired.
Notes
Tips and Techniques
- Fresh zucchini works best for this recipe.
- Use a hand-held spiralizer or an electric one to make your zucchini noodles.
- This side dish is best made fresh. Leftovers may become soggy, so it's not recommended to store longer than a day.
Beth says
This was such a delicious and very tasty pesto salad! One of my hubby and I’s new favorites. Can’t wait to make this again!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh yes please! I love pasta,salad and this one looks so delicious!
heather johnson says
i’m all about pesto lately – it’s in my grocery cart every week – so good!
Suzy says
This was the perfect dish to make with all of our garden veggies! So flavorful!
Jamie says
This is going to be perfect with my garden zucchini! It’s almost ready to pick and I’m saving this recipe to make when it’s ready. 🙂