Pescatarian Basil-Pesto Zucchini Noodle Salad
This vibrant, herb-forward salad is everything you want on a warm day — light, fresh, and packed with bold Mediterranean flavor. Spiralized zucchini stands in for pasta, soaking up a bright homemade pesto built from fresh basil, parsley, lemon juice, and good olive oil. The salting-and-squeezing step is the secret weapon here: it draws out excess moisture so your noodles stay pleasantly tender rather than watery and limp. Kalamata olives and crisp English cucumber round out the bowl with briny, cool contrast that makes every bite interesting. Everything comes together without any heat, which means minimal cleanup and maximum freshness. It's a naturally satisfying choice that fits a pescatarian lifestyle without requiring any substitutions or workarounds — just clean, whole ingredients doing exactly what they're supposed to do.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the zucchini noodles
- 4 medium zucchini (about 2 lb total)
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt, divided
For the pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For the salad
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
- 1 cup thinly sliced english cucumber
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn, for serving (optional)
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Spiralize the zucchini into long noodles using a spiralizer, or cut into thin ribbons with a julienne peeler. Place the noodles in a colander set over the sink, toss with 1/2 tsp of the sea salt, and let stand for 10 minutes until the zucchini releases some of its moisture.
- 2
While the zucchini drains, combine the basil leaves, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1/4 tsp sea salt in a food processor or blender. Pulse 6–8 times until the herbs are roughly chopped.
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