You’ll love this healthy Chicken Zucchini Pasta with Pesto recipe. It’s simple to prepare, full of flavor, and is as good cold the next day as it is hot for dinner. This recipe combines pesto zoodles with simple marinated and grilled chicken thighs. Top with burst cherry tomatoes for an extra gourmet touch.
Love cooking with zucchini? Try these Chicken Enchilada Zucchini Roll Ups, or my favorite Zucchini Salmon Patties.
A Low Carb Zucchini Recipe with Chicken
Zucchini is one of my favorite low carb veggies to cook with! It’s versatile, and works in everything from smoothies (check out this luscious Keto Strawberry Smoothie) to a keto pasta.
I use is to add moisture to things like meatballs and salmon patties in place of breadcrumbs.
It’s delicious raw or cooked — and in this recipe, you’ll have the choice of using it either way!
I use zoodles (zucchini noodles), tossed in a fresh salty & garlicky pesto, and top it with a simple herb marinated chicken thigh and burst tomatoes. This combination is so flavorful, you won’t miss the pasta!
If your family has higher carb needs than you, make this meal as is, and serve it with rice, quinoa, or even pasta. The veggies, pesto and chicken make the meal a healthy family-friendly option!
What You’ll Need
- Zucchini
- Olive Oil (optional)
- Pesto Genovese (or sub your favorite store bought pesto)
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Parmesan Cheese
- Pine Nuts
Herbed Chicken Thighs
- Boneless Chicken Thighs (boneless chicken breasts work too, depending on preference or fat & protein needs!)
- Olive Oil
- Lemon Juice
- Thyme (or sub Italian seasoning)
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How to Make Chicken Zucchini Pasta with Pesto
Step 1: Add chicken thighs to a bowl and storage container, and drizzle on olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix to evenly coat, and the cover and refrigerate for 1-3 hours.
Step 2: Grill or pan fry the chicken thighs until cooked throughout. Allow to rest while preparing the zucchini pasta.
Step 3: Make zucchini noodles using a spiralizer, by hand cutting, or using a julienne peeler. If you’ve never made them before, learn how to make zoodles here.
Step 4: Add zoodles raw to a plate, and toss with 2-3 tablespoons of pesto. If you’d prefer to cook your zoodles, learn how in this post all about zucchini noodles.
Step 5: Add sliced chicken to the top of the zoodles.
Step 6: Garnish the chicken zucchini pasta with pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and cherry tomatoes. If desired, heat cherry tomatoes in a skillet with a little olive oil until they burst, and serve them hot on the pasta.
Storing Leftovers + Meal Prepping
If you’re following a low carb diet, prepping and utilizing leftovers is key to success!
How to Store Leftovers
I recommend only tossing the zucchini noodles you plan on eating right away with pesto. Store the raw zucchini noodles, pesto, and grilled or pan fried chicken separately, and combine when ready to enjoy again.
Meal Prep Zucchini Noodles
Spiralize zucchini for multiple meals at once! Store noodles in large air tight containers in the fridge for up to a week. Combine with prepared pesto, alfredo sauce, and proteins when ready to enjoy!
Pesto is also a great meal-prep item. It’s perfect for adding flavor to grilled meats and seafood, zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice, and even salad dressings!
Other Keto Zucchini Recipes You’ll LOVE!
- Zucchini Enchilada Roll Ups
- Mini Zucchini Lasagnas
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Keto Meatballs with Zoodles
Try this recipe? Be sure to share your cooking with me on Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram, and tag @BlissfullyLowCarb !
Chicken Zucchini Noodles with Pesto
Ingredients
Herb Marinated Chicken Thighs
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs or boneless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- black pepper to taste
Pesto Zoodles
- 2 zucchini spiralized (see how to make zoodles)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4-1/2 cup pesto
- cherry tomatoes sauteed until burst, optional
- parmesan cheese to garnish, optional
- pine nuts to garnish, optional
Instructions
Herb Marinated Chicken
- Add the chicken thighs to a marinating container, and drizzle on the lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, thyme, and back pepper. Toss to coat evenly, cover, and marinate refrigerated for 1-4 hours.
- Cook chicken over a heated grill on about 350º F for about 4 minutes per side, or until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165º F. If pan frying, heat a skillet over medium high heat, and cook chicken for about 5 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked throughout.
Pesto Zoodles
- Use a spiralizer or other technique to make zoodles. Learn how to make zoodles if here if you’ve never done it before!
- If cooking zoodles, heat a skillet over medium high heat, and drizzle with olive oil. Add zoodles, and toss to heat through, 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook zoodles or they will release too much water and become mushy.I prefer to use zoodles raw most of the time.
- Add a couple spoonfuls of your favorite pesto. My favorite is this authentic Pesto Genovese.
- Serve Pesto Zoodles hot, topped with sliced chicken, garnished with additional parmesan cheese, pine nuts, or burst cherry tomatoes, if desired.
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