Wanna know how I get my kids to eat squash? I plaster pesto all over the top of it! This Pesto Salmon with Zucchini Noodles is no exception; my kids LOVE it.
I don’t know about your house, but squash is one of the least desirable veggies in our house. My kids complain every. dang. time. But squash is jam PACKED full of Protein, Vitamin A, Thiamin, Niacin, Phosphorus and Copper, and is a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Riboflavin,Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Potassium and Manganese. Whew!! That’s a lot of goodness!
What I’ve learned from preparing squash in our house is:
- It’s gotta be cut an awesome way. The cooler you can make squash look, the better.
- It must have some sort of sauce on it.
- My kids need to help me make it. Like I’ve mentioned in my post THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO RAISING HEALTHY EATERS, when you get kids involved they are more excited to eat it.
Let’s move away from all this squash and talk about the pesto. Oh lawdy, the pesto. It is dreamy and simple. Nut free and dairy free. So all you people who have allergies…..you’re welcome! Pesto doesn’t need to be fancy. A few simple ingredients and BAM, you have an amazing sauce that goes with almost anything! BONUS: it freezes soooo well. If you want to get fancy though my ARTICHOKE BASIL PESTO is so friggin’ baller. (totally tooting my own horn here…..toot toot)
This recipe is also fantastic if you are trying to get your family to eat more fish. Pesto and (any) kind of fish go great together. If you just can’t with fish; chicken or flank steak work well too! Seriously, this dish is so versatile and that’s why I think my kids really dig it!
I recently got a new veggie spiralizer that makes ribbons, and zoodles. It’s awesome and a major step up from my tiny hand held one. You can find the one I’m loving HERE or you can get it at Costco. Alright, alright, alright…let’s get down to business!
Ingredients
- 3 large zucchini, spiralized or ribboned
- 4-6 salmon fillets
- 1 tbl of oil
- handful of cherry tomatoes
- 1 bunch of fresh basil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbl lemon juice
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Spiralize zucchini and put on a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle a good amount of salt over the top and let sit for 20ish minutes. After 20 minutes, press down with a paper towel to remove any water that the zucchini has made
- Line a baking sheet and place salmon on top. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with a little salt.
- Place in a COLD oven and then turn on to 400 degrees F. Cook for 25 minutes.
- While salmon is cooking, place all pesto ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. You may need to add a little more oil to get it the consistency you prefer.
- Heat up a skillet with some oil.
- Place zucchini in and saute for 1-2 minutes. Any longer and the squash will become soggy.
- Once zucchini is done, place in a bowl and add in your cherry tomatoes. Top with the salmon and the fresh pesto!
Notes
It's important to let your zucchini sit with salt on it. It will help draw the moisture out. Pat dry before you cook.
Whole30: yes
Paleo: yes
