Pregnancy Friendly Basil-Pesto Zucchini Noodle Salad
Fresh, vibrant, and loaded with nutrients that matter during pregnancy, this zucchini noodle salad is the kind of meal that feels indulgent without any of the ingredients you're trying to avoid right now. Spiralized zucchini stands in for pasta beautifully, giving you that satisfying twirl-on-a-fork experience while keeping things light and easy to digest. The homemade pesto is built from fresh basil, parsley, garlic, and lemon — no store-bought jar with mystery additives, just whole ingredients you can feel good about. Parsley is a genuinely useful herb during pregnancy, and pairing it with bright lemon zest and quality extra-virgin olive oil makes this sauce taste far more complex than the handful of steps it takes to blend together. Salting and draining the zucchini noodles first is a small but smart move — it pulls out excess moisture so the pesto clings instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Kalamata olives and crisp English cucumber round out the salad with briny, cool contrast that keeps every bite interesting. It comes together quickly, requires no heat, and is the kind of colorful, feel-good dish you'll want on repeat all season long.
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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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