Courgette pesto is a punchy sauce made with courgettes, basil and nutritional yeast. It's perfect for courgette pesto pasta, and it's vegan, dairy-free and nut-free.
Jump to:
Why you'll love the recipe
- Nutritional yeast adds a nutty, cheesy flavour, without nuts or cheese! This vegan courgette pesto recipe is perfect for allergy sufferers
- Courgettes add a creamy texture without the need for lots of oil. Dairy-free pesto is much lower in fat than a traditional recipe
- Healthy courgette pesto is low-calorie. There are just 40 calories in a serving compared to 148 calories in supermarket pesto
- This easy courgette pesto recipe is great if you've got a glut of courgettes, or want to add extra veggies to a meal. You can double or triple the recipe and pop it in the freezer.
Ingredients
Courgettes. You'll need relatively firm courgettes for this recipe, otherwise they will be too watery.
Olive oil or another healthy cooking oil. Most pesto recipes contain a lot of oil which makes them very calorific, but this courgette pesto has just 2 teaspoons of oil in the whole recipe. It's lighter, less oily and much lower in calories.
Basil is essential to provide the classic punchy flavour of pesto. It's not possible to use dried herbs in the recipe.
Nutritional yeast. This is widely available in supermarkets, usually near the stocks and bouillon powders. Nutritional yeast is completely different from bakers active yeast, which is used to make bread rise. It's deactivated, and has a delicious umami, cheesy flavour. Nutritional yeast is a good vegan source of vitamin B12 and protein.
How to make courgette pesto
Rinse the courgettes and trim the ends. Cut into even slices about 5mm thick.
Brush the slices of courgette on both sides with the olive oil.
Heat a large non-stick pan over a medium heat. Add the courgette slices in a single layer. You may need to use two pans or cook the courgettes in two batches.
Cook for 5 minutes on each side. The courgette slices should be golden and soft to the touch.
Add the cooked courgette to a food processor or blender. Add the basil leaves (remove any large stems), nutritional yeast and a pinch of salt. Blitz until smooth. If necessary, scrape down the sides of the blender and blitz again.
Variations
If you prefer, you can make courgette pesto with parmesan and nuts in place of nutritional yeast. Use 30g each of parmesan and pinenuts. You may need to thin the pesto a little with lemon juice or olive oil.
Add a clove of garlic to the recipe if you like. If you are using raw garlic, grate it before adding it to the food processor to ensure it is finely broken down. Using roasted garlic will add a more mellow flavour.
Cinnamon and Kale recipe tips
- Leave the skin on the courgettes - it adds both fibre and colour to the recipe.
- I have successfully made courgette pesto with frozen basil leaves. They were whole leaves from my plants that I'd popped in a sealed bag in the freezer. I don't find the supermarket frozen chopped basil to be so good - in my opinion, it doesn't have such a great flavour
Storage and serving
Store your courgette pesto in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze it in individual portions in an ice cube tray.
You can use this recipe to make courgette pesto pasta. I usually use fusilli or penne. Reserve a little of the pasta cooking water and stir it into the pesto. Add the cooked pasta and toss well. Top with an extra sprinkle of nutritional yeast or some vegan parmesan cheese.
This delicious vegan basil sauce can also be stirred into rice, orzo, new potatoes and vegetable dishes. And it's good on pizzas and in sandwiches to add an extra layer of flavour.
For meat eaters, courgette pesto also goes well with grilled chicken and fish.
Other healthy pesto recipes
I find pesto extremely useful, so I have a selection of recipes that I use depending on the season and what I have in the fridge or garden.
This nettle pesto recipe can also be made with kale or spinach, and in the Spring, wild garlic and walnut pesto is a delicious seasonal treat.
- Nettle Pesto10 Minutes
- Wild Garlic and Walnut Pesto10 Minutes
If you loved this easy, healthy recipe please leave a rating and comment at the bottom of the page. Your email will not be published.
Your feedback and questions are much appreciated.
You can also follow me on Pinterest and Facebook.
Why not subscribe to the newsletter to receive free delicious healthy recipes straight to your inbox?
Recipe
Courgette Pesto
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 2 courgettes medium sized
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 20 g basil
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Trim the ends from the courgettes and slice lengthwise into 5mm slices.2 courgettes
- Brush the courgette slices on both sides with olive oil.2 teaspoon olive oil
- Heat a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add the courgette slices in a single layer. If necessary, use a second pan or cook the courgettes in 2 batches.
- Cook the courgette slices for 5 minutes on each side. They should be lightly browned and soft to the the touch.
- Add the cooked courgettes, basil, nutritional yeast and a pinch of salt to a food processor or blender. Blitz until smooth. If necessary, scrape down the sides of the food processor and blitz again.20 g basil, 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Notes
- Leave the skin on the courgettes, it adds extra fibre and colour to the recipe.
- If you prefer, you can make courgette pesto with parmesan and nuts in place of nutritional yeast. Use 30g each of parmesan and pinenuts. You may need to thin the pesto a little with lemon juice or olive oil.
- Add a clove of garlic to the recipe if you like. If you are using raw garlic, grate it before adding it to the food processor to ensure it is finely broken down. Using roasted garlic will add a more mellow flavour.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
Comments
No Comments