Vegetables in a Creamy Pesto Sauce Recipe

5 from 1 vote

A simple vegetarian dish of steamed vegetables in a fresh and homemade basil pesto sauce.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword creamy, pesto sauce, vegetables

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 20

Total Time 45

Servings people

Calories 92kcal

Cost 8

Using a bamboo steamer or any steamer of your choice, steam the carrots, mushrooms, yellow squash, and zucchini if using sliced zucchini. This usually takes anywhere from 5-8 minutes, depending on the method of steaming.
2 carrots, 6-8 mushrooms, 2 yellow squash, 4 large zucchini
Do not overcook; you don’t want them to become mushy once added to the sauce.
If making zoodles, add them to a colander and sprinkle them with salt; let them stand in the sink for at least 10 minutes to draw out some of the water. When ready, pat them dry with paper towels.
While the vegetables are steaming, heat some cooking fat, coconut milk (start with a 1⁄2 cup), salt, and pepper to taste over medium-high heat until boiling.
1 ⁄2 – 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, 1 tablespoon cooking fat
Turn down the heat to medium and add in the pesto and lemon juice, stirring until well incorporated. Taste, and adjust the seasoning or add additional coconut milk to your liking.
1 batch of Homemade Basil Pesto, Juice of 1 lemon, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Bring the sauce to a simmer and add the zoodles, if using, and gently mix with tongs; cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Next, add the spinach and cook until wilted.
2 cups fresh spinach
Add the remaining vegetables and gently mix. If you’d like, let the vegetables simmer in the sauce for a few minutes; just make sure they don’t overcook.
Transfer to a serving bowl and serve warm.