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Transform your excess summer zucchini into a creamy, herbaceous topping for pasta and more! This zucchini pesto recipe has a bold basil flavor and tender sauteed zucchini gives it a nice, creamy texture. It’s the perfect way to work through your zucchini stash and tastes heavenly on a warm summer night!

bowl of homemade pesto made with zucchini and basil.

If you have a vegetable garden, you probably reach a point in the summer where you officially have too much zucchini. You stare down these giant, oblong veggies wondering what the heck to do with them and if you even want to!

This fresh pesto sauce really doesn’t taste like zucchini, but it adds a creaminess and, of course, extra fiber and nutrients. It’s a fun twist on regular pesto and is a great way to work through that pile of zucchini. Plus, it freezes great, so you can enjoy your harvest long after zucchini season ends.

What is zucchini pesto?

Zucchini pesto is like traditional basil pesto except it includes tender sauteed zucchini. It can be used just like regular pesto and is wonderful over pasta, stirred into scrambled eggs, etc.

food processor with homemade zucchini pesto.

Equipment

To make this zucchini pesto recipe, you’ll need:

Large skillet
Food processor

Ingredients

Fresh zucchini – Choose soft, tender zucchini.
Fresh basil leaves – Be sure to wash and dry your basil first. Since this recipe is blended, I use both the leaves and stems.
Parmesan cheese – For a salty, umami flavor. Pecorino romano is a good swap.
Lemon juice – This balances out the flavor from the cheese, oil, and walnuts.
Walnuts – For a nutty flavor.
Olive oil – This is key in any pesto recipe. I used extra virgin olive oil.
Fresh garlic cloves – This can be adjusted to taste. At minimum, I recommend using one clove of garlic.
Salt

How to Make Zucchini Pesto

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Once warm, drizzle with oil and sautee the diced zucchini. Season with salt and cook until soft and tender.
Let the cooked zucchini cool to room temperature.
Transfer the zucchini to the food processor bowl and add raw garlic, fresh basil, parmesan, half of the oil, walnuts, and salt. Blend until a thick paste forms.
Drizzle in additional oil until you reach your desired consistency.
Use instead of regular pesto on your favorite pasta.

Storing Suggestions

Stored any leftover zucchini pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. For longer storage, transfer the pesto to an ice cube tray and freeze. Store the frozen cubes in a freezer-safe bag and use as desired.

bowl of creamy zucchini basil pesto next to lemon.

How to Use Zucchini Basil Pesto

Treat this homemade pesto recipe just like your favorite basil pesto. It can be added to:

Make zucchini pesto pasta
Stir into scrambled eggs
Use it as a sandwich spread
Use as a pizza sauce
Drizzle over roasted veggies

Tips & Variations

Change the nuts. I used walnuts, which are not traditional. Feel free to replace with cashews, pine nuts, or blanched almonds. If you need to avoid tree nuts, try sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead.
Make it dairy-free. If you don’t want to add cheese, you don’t have to! Just be aware that the Parmesan adds some of the salt, so you may need to add a little bit more. Or, try use nutritional yeast instead.
Add some heat. Add a few shakes of black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Garnish. If you want to use this pesto as a dip or sauce, drizzle it with a thin layer of olive oil.
Add more greens. Running low on basil? Replace some of it with spinach or arugula.

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