Sauteed Zucchini with Spinach and Basil Pesto (And Ten More Meatless Ideas for Amazing Zucchini)

Sauteed Zucchini with Spinach and Basil Pesto is a perfect summer side dish that’s low-carb, Keto, low-glycemic, gluten-free, meatless, and South Beach Diet friendly! Use the Diet-Type Index to find more recipes like this one.

Click here to PIN Sauteed Zucchini with Spinach and Basil Pesto!

A few days ago I shared the updated recipe for Spinach and Basil Pesto and this delicious recipe for Sauteed Zucchini with Spinach and Basil Pesto is one great way to use the delicious pesto.  If you’re growing a vegetable garden, you probably don’t have any zucchini yet, but bookmark this recipe now so you can find it in August when the zucchini are in overdrive.

I don’t have zucchini planted at my new house this year, so I’ll be visiting the farmer’s market in my new town to satisfy that zucchini craving.  For those of you who are lucky enough to have a garden, you can never have too many zucchini recipes, so check after the main recipe for some more zucchini dishes I’ve enjoyed.

Most people would probably consider this to be a side dish, but when I have fresh garden zucchini, I’d happily eat a big plate full of this and call it dinner. You can find more meatless recipes by using the label Meatless Monday or checking Vegetarian Recipes.

Wash zucchini and cut into slices that are about 1/2 inch thick. Heat the oil and then saute the garlic slices for 1-2 minutes, or until you smell garlic.  (This is called “seasoning the oil” in Chinese cooking. Add zucchini to the hot pan, in a single layer if possible. Cover and cook about 4 minutes, turning the zucchini once or twice so it gets browned on all sides.

Here’s my zucchini the first time I turned them, just starting to get brown. When I turned them again I was getting more of the nice browned color I wanted. After four minutes, remove lid and cook zucchini a minute or two longer if needed, or until the zucchini is nicely browned and is tender-crisp.  As soon as it reaches that point, stir in the pesto. Stir around gently until all the zucchini is coated with pesto, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and serve immediately.

Ten More Meatless Ideas for Amazing Zucchini from Kalyn’s Kitchen:

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake
Garlic-Lover’s Vegetable Stir-Fry
Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini with Black Beans, Brown Rice, Chiles, Cheddar and Cotija Cheese
Zucchini Bake with Feta and Thyme
How to Grill Zucchini – Perfect Every Time
Zucchini Carpaccio (Raw Zucchini Salad with Lemon, Herbs, and Goat Chees
Grilled Zucchini Greek Salad
Roasted Zucchini with Green Onions, Feta Cheese, and Basil
Zucchini Crust Vegetarian Pizza Margherita
Marinated Zucchini Salad with Olives, Artichokes, Red Pepper, and Red Onion

Print Recipe

Sauteed Zucchini with Spinach and Basil Pesto (And Ten More Meatless Ideas for Amazing Zucchini)

Yield: 3-4 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

This recipe for Sauteed Zucchini with Spinach and Basil Pesto is a perfect summer side dish!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 medium sized zucchini
• 1 T olive oil
• 2-3 large cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1/2 cup Spinach and Basil Pesto (or use store-bought pesto like I did in this recipe for a slightly different version)
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. If using pesto that has been refrigerated, remove it and let come to room temperature.
2. Wash zucchini and trim off ends. Cut zucchini into 1/2 inch slices.  (For larger zucchini, I would cut in half lengthwise and then into slices.
3. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in heavy frying pan with lid.
4. Add garlic cloves and saute 1-2 minutes, just until you start to smell the garlic, then remove garlic cloves and discard.
5. Add zucchini to hot pan, arranging them in a single layer if possible.
6. Turn heat to medium, then cover and cook about 4 minutes, turning the zucchini once or twice.
7. After 4 minutes, check to see if both sides are browned and the squash is getting as tender as you’d like it.
8. Cook 1-2 more minutes, uncovered, as needed until zucchini is tender-crisp and any liquid is evaporated.
9. Turn off heat and spoon pesto over zucchini and stir gently. Let it melt for a minute or two, season the zucchini to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper, put into serving dish, and serve immediately.

This recipe created by Kalyn.

All images and text ©Kalyn Denny for Kalyn's Kitchen.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This is a perfect side dish for any low-carb diet plan as well as phase of the South Beach Diet. Although pesto like this is relatively high in fat, the spinach here makes this more nutritious than many pestos, and the pine nuts and olive oil are both considered “good fat” by South Beach.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

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If you want nutritional information for a recipe, you can sign up for a free membership with Yummly and use the Yum button on my site to save the recipe and see the nutritional information. Another option is entering the recipe into this Recipe Nutrition Analyzer, which will calculate it for you.