Zucchini Noodle Caprese
Zucchini noodle caprese is made from my favorite gluten-free pasta alternative, zucchini noodles, and inspired by one of my all time favorite salads, caprese. Not only is it beautiful, but it tastes amazing!
Every time I make a new zucchini noodle “zoodle” recipe I say that it’s my favorite. I think it’s quite evident that I just love zoodles or any form of zucchini pasta. If you’ve watched my videos on how to make and cook zucchini noodles or 10 vegetables to spiralize, you surely know that.
But this one, yeah, this zucchini noodle caprese may just be my favorite summer salad.
I’ve traveled extensively through Italy twice and I’ve always said that if there’s one country in the world I could easily live in, it would be Italy. The first time I traveled Italy was during a European study abroad in college and the second time was about 10 years later with my mom. For the record, I may have left my heart in Positano.
Both of those trips to Italy were before my celiac diagnosis, so everything in sight was edible. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t do my fair share of indulging. I did. But given all the pizzas, pastas and everything I could eat, I kept going back to caprese salad. My favorite Italian salad. A salad that’s so simple, crisp, flavorful and beautiful.
Making Zucchini Noodle Caprese
So today I decided to give the traditional caprese salad a zucchini noodle boost, resulting in this delicious zucchini noodle caprese.
What’s great about this salad is the freshness and flavor from a few key, simple ingredients. Namely, basil, zucchini and tomatoes. The basil, combined with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, pine nuts and cashews makes for a highly addictive basil pesto that you’ll literally want to slather on anything and everything.
The cherry tomatoes and creamy buffalo mozzarella balls are perfectly bite-sized. And I love that you can twirl the zucchini noodles just like traditional pasta.
With a glass of wine, sangria or limoncello in one hand, this zucchini noodle caprese definitely has me dreaming of my next trip back to Italy. Enjoy!
Zucchini Noodle Caprese Video
Want to see how I make this recipe? Watch the video below!
For more zucchini noodle recipes
- Zucchini Noodles with Chicken, Spinach and Parmesan
- Mexican Chicken Zucchini Noodles
- Zucchini Pasta with Lemon Garlic Shrimp
- Zucchini Noodle Spaghetti Bolognese
- Carrot and Zucchini Pasta with Avocado Cucumber Sauce
And don’t forget that you can spiralize much more than zucchini noodles. Here’s some spiralizer recipes inspiration!
Zucchini Noodle Caprese
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 8 ounces small balls of buffalo mozzarella, in water
Basil Pesto
- 2 tbsp raw pine nuts, plus extra for garnish
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup packed basil leaves
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- black pepper, to taste
Garnish
- toasted pine nuts
- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Toast the pine nuts in a skillet on medium low heat for 5 minutes, tossing gently. Then place them in your food processor.
- Toast the cashews in the same skillet for 10 minutes, tossing gently. Then transfer to your food processor.
- Add the remaining pesto ingredients into your food processor except the olive oil. Pulse until the ingredients are mixed. Turn your food processor on while slowly pouring the olive oil. Process until your pesto is smooth and creamy, then set aside.
- Cut the ends off each zucchini and use a spiralizer to create zucchini noodles. Place these into a large bowl.
- Cut your tomatoes in half and place into the bowl with the zucchini. Cut your mozzarella balls in half and place in the same bowl.
- Using a spoon or spatula, remove all of the pesto from the food processor and add to the bowl. Mix all of the ingredients together until well combined. Serve immediately.
Lisa’s Tips
- For help spiralizing zucchini, watch my video on making zucchini noodles. And the spiralizer I use and love is the 6-Blade Paderno Spiralizer.
- Zucchini noodles do become watery over time, so if you make this salad ahead of time you may find some liquid pooling in the bottom of your bowl. Simply tip the bowl over the sink to drain any excess water.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted October 2014, but updated to include new photos.
Absolutely Incredible. So easy to make and delicious.
The recipe turned out great as I surprised my wife with dinner. It was easy even for a beginner. The one question is how much is a serving size? I’m guessing 1-1.5 cups
Yes, it should be around 1 to 1.5 cups!
is it 352kcal per serving?
Yes, the nutritional information will always be per serving.
The pesto is devine! I only put one clove of garlic. It tastes like there’s cheese in it and there isn’t! I blanched my zucchini to soften the bite. I have the Kitchen Aid spiralizer and it worked great. I did a day of Downshiftology meal prep today so I can’t wait to try this whole dish for my lunch tomorrow. Hands down best Pesto.
Glad you enjoyed this zoodle caprese Andrea! Excited to see how your meal prep turns out for the week :)
My wife and I loved it. I used a mandolin. It took less than a minute to cut the zucchini into noodles. I cheated on the pesto using store bought pesto and then added the pine nuts and cashews.
So happy you loved the recipe Calvin! And no worries on the pesto. I do that same thing myself sometimes. ;)
This dish was delicious. I’m by myself so I used only 1 zucchini. Was plenty. I might add beans next time!
Glad you enjoyed this caprese zoodle dish Pat!
Sooo good!!!
Glad you enjoyed this zucchini noodle caprese Celine!
I could get away with using a cucumber for this one couldn’t I?
You could, however a cucumber holds much more water than a zucchini.
This was soo much better than I was expecting! So delicious, I will definitely be making this again. But I do want to add that I did sauté this dish as well as not use pine nuts.
Happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe Kaylee!
How much pesto does the recipe make? (May need to get store-bought.) Thanks!
This makes about 1/2 a cup.
Thank you so much! Looking forward to making it!
Added to my meal planner for next week :)
Any suggestions on non-poultry proteins to serve with this? Thanks!
Hi Nicola – you can add in chickpeas or lentils into the mix!
My new years resolution is to bring some more variety in my cooking and I tried this recipe tonight. And this one is a real winner. It was done in 10 minutes (I cheated with the pesto since I had some freshly made pesto in the freezer, but still….) so ideal for a week night. And the combination of flavors was just delicious and very kids friendly.
Happy to hear you loved this! Adding more zucchini noodles is a great way to sneak in more veggies :)
What do you consider a “medium” zucchini? I spiralized 3, and stopped because they filled my largest mixing bowl and it was hard to mix in the other ingredients. It is also summer in the northeast, and I’m wondering if we’re getting much larger zucchini than other places. I think all of the zucchini I’ve seen are over a foot long,
Hi Sarah – oh wow, it does sound like you have extra large zucchini! Lucky you! Yes, I’d definitely stop at 3 then, as they can certainly vary in size. :)
My family loved this recipe… I used the miracle peeler to make the the spaghetti zucchini and it worked like a charm..Thanks for the advise about leaving the zucchini raw. Defiantly going to make it again!. Thanks
Wonderful! Glad everyone enjoyed this Joha 😊
I may be missing this, but do you cook the zucchini noodles or leave them raw? Thanks in advance.
Hi Stacee – the zucchini noodles are raw in this recipe.
I love this recipe, such a lovely way to use zucchini noodles in another way than the most common recipes.
The fresh taste of this salad goes really well with the topping: toasted pine nuts. The crunch gives the dish another dimension of flavour and is such a good addition to the recipe.
Hi Mallory – Always looking for new ways to dress up zucchini noodles! Glad you enjoyed this fresh version :)
That is a stunningly beautiful dish! I can’t wait to try it! I always have soo many zucchini in the summer!
Hi Beth- Zucchini noodles are always a great way to use up those zucchinis!
What a gorgeous and healthy dish! I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Hi Pam- You’re going to love all the fresh flavors in this!
This is a great way for me to use up the zucchini that I have just laying around. Thanks for the idea!!
Hi Charla – Zucchini noodles are definitely a great option if you’ve got leftovers!
I love zucchini noodles. An easy meal any night of the week. Zoodles are fun to make and fun to eat.
Hi Gloria – Zucchini noodles are always a great option for a lighter and more veggie-heavy option :)
Very healthy food thank you for sharing!
Hi Manal – I’m glad you loved this recipe!
Eldest son is carnivorous. Yet, he had 3 helpings…he said it was so delicious he never thought of eating raw courgettes. He lived the lemon shrimp one yesterday. So, 5/5!! Love the fact there’s never any left over! It was fairly easy to ensemble, (burnt the cashews ?) blitz the pesto and stirred everything. Think I’ll double the portions next time! We ate them with (your home made taco seasoning) seasoned chicken. Yuuuuuum! The thighs are definitely the best for the taco seasoning!
This is one of my favorite recipes (especially during the summer), so your son has good taste! ;) Sounds perfect with the seasoned chicken as well and totally agree on the chicken thighs. They’re always the most flavorful!
Thanks for the video! I just made my second batch of zoodles; first with that last type, and the second with your first pick. It was so much fun! Would love to see a/the video of different veggies.
Oops, meant to post this under your zoodle making video *insert eye roll :)
Haha. No worries Jennifer! ;) Glad you enjoyed the zucchini noodle video and your zoodles. Making zoodles is fun! Here’s the video of spiralizing 10 different veggies: https://downshiftology.com/spiralizer-beginners-guide/ Hopefully this gives you a little more inspo in the kitchen! x
Thanks! I used your microwave method and my zoodles were perfect!
Wonderful! Happy to hear that!
Pingback: Spiralizer Beginner's Guide: 10 Vegetables to Spiralize | Downshiftology
Classic flavors. Looks so delicious. Perfect recipe for zoodles.
Thanks!
You can’t go wrong with caprese flavors. And zoodles make it even better!! This would be perfect for a summertime meal.
I’ve definitely had it on repeat for the last few weeks. :)
DROOLING! Pinning for later :)
This one is definitely a keeper. ;) x
looks amazing, I love that you toasted the pine nuts and cashews, it brings out more flavor in pesto
Yes, it really does. Thanks Dahn!
Love everything about this recipe! Zucchini noodles, especially when paired with pesto are the best! I’m currently backpacking in Italy with my bf, currently in Puglia region where you can actually find a lot of gf options but just came from the Amalfi coast. Literally one of the most beautiful places every! Positano truly is amazing!
Ahh, so jealous! All of those towns along the Amalfi coast are so rich in charm and just breathtaking. It’s a vibe that definitely makes my soul happy. I need to go back soon for sure! Enjoy your travels! :) x
Love Caprese, love zoodles; so yes, this is my new favorite too :) Thank you for creating this! xx
It’s so good and I got to enjoy leftovers of this for 3 days! Not complaining. ;) x
Pingback: How to Make and Cook Zucchini Noodles (the Most Popular Methods) | Downshiftology