Spiralized Zucchini Pesto Caprese Salad

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Move over pasta salad and make room for this veggie salad. You will forget the noodles are made from zucchini when paired with mozzarella, tomatoes, and pesto.

It’s the first recipe post of the new year and I am finally revealing one of my favorite spiralized recipes – zucchini pesto caprese salad! I actually first made this early on in the college football season and since it was a huge hit at the tailgate, I made sure to put it on the menu for bowl game season along with a Red Baron Classic Crust Supreme pizza and an Edwards Oreo pie that I picked up at Walmart. Because who says you can’t have some good veggies with your pizza while watching the big game?

I hosted a viewing party on New Years day to cheer on my favorite poisonous nuts and normally I’m a fan of setting up a top-your-own pizza bar with homemade dough. But being the day after staying up all night to welcome in the New Year, on top of recovering from a cold, I wasn’t really into the idea of spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Since I’ve always enjoyed Red Baron pizzas dating back to when I was a kid it was an easy decision.

But the hostess in me couldn’t serve everything out of a box, no matter how delicious it is, so I made my zoodle caprese salad figuring that some veggies to pair with the pizza would be appreciated. While my friends and I like to eat, we try to balance it out with some healthy option and this salad happens to be delicious and incredibly easy to put together. After creating the zucchini noodles with my spiralizer, I added little mozzarella pearls, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, and tossed it all in homemade pesto that I always have on hand. Pesto just makes everything better and you can even add a drizzle of balsamic to seal the seal. It’s easy to forgot that the noodles are made of zucchini.

That Oreo pie by the way? Total winner. People were eyeing it from the start and jumped on it the moment it was sliced. It tasted like frozen whipped topping mixed with Oreos and cream cheese and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Many said it tasted exactly like they had hoped it would. It didn’t stand a chance and disappeared as quickly as it was placed on table.

Three years ago: Baby Chicken Fingers with Apple

Four years ago: Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage & Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Five years ago: Homemade Vanilla Extract

SPIRALIZED ZUCCHINI PESTO CAPRESE SALAD

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 lb. (2 medium) zucchini squash

8 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls, drained

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

2 Tbsp fresh minced basil

1/4 cup basil pesto (I used homemade)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Balsamic glaze, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut zucchini into noodle-shaped strands using a spiralizer or mandoline. Place “zoodles” in a large bowl and add mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Pour pesto over the mixture and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Marinate salad in refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Serve topped with a drizzle of balsamic if desired.

Source: The Spiffy Cookie original.