If you have a garden of any kind (whether it’s your backyard, windowsill, patio or just a few pots of herbs), I hope you are enjoying the summer bounty! Two ingredients I use a lot this time of year are zucchini and basil.

Zucchini is a really great veggie. It’s high in dietary fiber and is a natural source of folate, which is super important during pregnancy. It also has great vitamins like A, C & Bs along with potassium and other minerals. I find zucchini to be extremely versatile. It’s great for grilling (I serve them up with veggie burgers), as a side (sautéed or steamed) and as part of an entree (added to stir-fry or… made into pasta)!

What’s so great about zucchini pasta? Well, in addition to the vitamins and minerals I mentioned, a cup zucchini has less than 20 calories. A cup of normal pasta can have up to 200! Believe it or not, one of the more frequent questions I get asked is “how do you make the zucchini noodles?” It’s really easy! I use a gadget  called a spiralizer that makes it a snap, which I highly recommend. You can also get a handheld version too. If you want to fool your diners/guests… peel off the green skin and it will REALLY look like spaghetti! I’ve done that for the effect once or twice, but for better nutrition (and as a huge time saver!) I recommend leaving the skin intact.

I have my mini basil garden going on my balcony now, and finally got enough to harvest a big handful. To celebrate, I made my delicious Avocado Basil Pesto!

To show how I made the pesto AND zucchini noodles, I made a cooking video doing BOTH! 🙂 It’s a favorite summer meal in my home – adult AND toddler approved!

This recipe is quick and easy, and really fresh and delicious! Better get cooking before the zucchini and basil season ends!

(Oh, and want to read my original recipe? Find it HERE on the blog!)

Hope you enjoy!

What’s your favorite way to eat zucchini? Share with us in the comments below!