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Whole30 Pesto Chicken Zoodles! Quick zuchinni noodles with chicken and a homemade pistachio pesto. Paleo and Whole30 compliant!
Whole30 Chicken Pesto Zoodles!!
Guys. Why have I never tried zoodles before? How am I just discovering this world of deliciousness? I won’t lie to you and say it tastes like pasta, but they are completely satisfying and yummy in their own way. No carbs needed.
And that’s a good thing! Because right now I’m on Day 7 of the Whole30. After a few bachelorette parties and now upcoming weddings, my friend Hillary and I knew we needed a major detox. I’m officially too old for hangovers and clubbing. Whole30 is basically the paleo diet on steroids: no gluten, no sugar, no alcohol, no dairy, and no beans/legumes for 30 days. So intense, I know, but I feel amazing already.
Today I decided to whip up zoodles for the first time with some quick and easy paleo pesto and even quicker and easier rotisserie chicken. Man, it was good. Like so good. Like already drooling thinking about the leftovers in the fridge for my lunch tomorrow good.
The cast of characters: zucchini, chicken, tomato, basil, pistachios, olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper. Simple, real ingredients. So delish.
And basil courtesy of my already bountiful garden!!
Despite this furry monster that constantly tries to destroy the plants. Good thing he’s cute.
So here we go: PALEO PESTO. 1 cup fresh basil + 1/4 cup oil + 1/4 cup pistachios (or any nuts you have around!) + 2 cloves garlic + s&p.
Whirl it up in the food processor and enjoy. I just love how spicy and fragrant all this basil makes this sauce. Ugh, it’s to die for. No parmesan cheese needed, (although it would be insanely delicious and no judgement if you add it ♥)
So then just reach into your drawer and find the handheld spiralizer
Alright, so now you just need to dice up a tomato and shred some rotisserie chicken. I guess you could actually cook chicken but I’m lazy.
You’ll need to just toss everything in a hot skillet for like 3 minutes just to make sure it’s hot and yummy.
Oh yeah, baby. With food this good the Whole30 is a breeze!
- 3 zucchini, spiralized or cut into long, thin strips to resemble pasta. Squeeze the extra moisture out with a few paper towels.
- 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded, (about 2 cups cooked chicken)
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios, plus more for topping
- Salt and pepper to taste
- To make the pesto, combine the basil leaves, garlic cloves, olive oil, and pistachios in a food processor or blender. Puree until a smooth sauce forms. Taste for salt and pepper, (it probably needs it, but if your pistachios are already salted maybe not).
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the zoodles (zucchini noodles), cooked chicken, tomatoes, and pesto to the skillet. Toss to combine, and let heat up for about 3 minutes until warmed through.
- Serve with extra pistachios on top!
