Paleo Inspired Pesto w/ Zucchini Fettucini

We love Pesto sauce and used to eat it all the time- the old fashioned way. This recipe is simple, and Paleo friendly. There is no cheese in this pesto, but the flavor is enough that you will not miss it.


Eek, the picture does not do this meal justice, but it was yum yum! I topped the noodles with TJ's Italian Chicken Sausage

Here is what you'll need:

1/3 c walnuts
1/3 c pecans
~ 1.5 c fresh basil
5-6 garlic cloves
1/4 c olive oil (possibly more depending on your desired consistency)
1/2 teasp pepper

I started out by blending the nuts and garlic together in a food processor, but I think it would have worked out better to first blend the basil and garlic together, then add the nuts and continue blending. Anyway, once everything was pretty finely chopped, I added the olive oil, while the food processor was still blending. You will have to stop the food processor a couple times and scrape the sides down, this is when you can add the pepper. The recipe made about 3/4 cup of the pesto sauce, but the flavor is intense. I used only about 1.5 tablespoons on my zucchini fettucini noodles. I refrigerated the rest and have put it on my chicken in my lunches for work. A little bit goes a long way!

For the zucchini fettucini- this is the most simple "noodle" recipe I have found since leaving processed foods behind. Simply take a zucchini, (I used green, but yellow works too) and peel slices off with a potato peeler. Careful that once you get to the middle of the flesh where the seeds are that you stop peeling, because the seeded parts become too soggy once they are cooked. When you have the desired amount of zucchini noodle, toss them in a pan over medium and sauté with olive oil and the seasonings of your choice. My staples lately have been garlic powder and pepper. The noodles will cook very fast, less than 5 minutes, so keep a close eye. Hope you like it!