Pesto Zucchini Noodles with Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 medium zucchini
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (chopped into bite-size chunks)
• 2 Tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
• sea salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup pesto
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese (plus more for topping)
• fresh basil (for garnish)
• crushed red pepper (for garnish (optional))

Method

1. Make zucchini noodles: Use a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles. You can make them whatever size you like, but I prefer to use the thinner noodle blade. If you don't have a spiralizer, you can use a vegetable peeler to peel the zucchini into thin ribbons or a mandolin with the julienne blade. Another option is to simply buy zucchini noodles from the store.
2. Cook chicken: Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add chicken chunks and sauté until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper while the chicken cooks. Once chicken is cooked through, transfer to a plate.7 min timer
3. Cook the zucchini noddles: In the same large skillet over medium heat add remaining tablespoon of oil, pesto, tomatoes and zucchini noodles. Cook while stirring everything together, until the noodles are coated with the pesto and slightly softened, about 1 minute. Add the chicken back to the pan with the noodles and toss. Add parmesan and stir everything together for about 30 seconds more. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.1 min timer
4. Serve: Portion the dish and serve warm with fresh basil, additional parmesan and crushed red pepper for a little heat.