Zucchini Tagliatelle With Turkey: A Balanced Recipe

For all those who love pesto tagliatelle but are watching their waistline, here is a lighter and more balanced version made with vegetables. Zucchini tagliatelle with turkey is a complete and flavorful dish, without starches and gluten-free.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients needed to prepare zucchini tagliatelle with turkey for 4 people:

4 small Nice zucchinis.
400 g of turkey fillet.
50 g of grated Parmesan cheese.
1 small bunch of fresh basil.
1 small garlic clove.
15 g of pine nuts for the pesto.
15 g of pine nuts for garnish.
5 tablespoons of olive oil.
salt and pepper.

Preparation of pesto

Zucchini tagliatelle with turkey are cooked like pasta in boiling salted water. They should also be seasoned with a homemade Genovese pesto made from basil, parmesan, and pine nuts.

1- Wash and pluck the basil leaves, reserving a few leaves for decoration.

2- Peel the garlic clove and remove its germ if necessary.

3- To prepare the basil pesto, place the basil leaves, garlic clove, grated parmesan, and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor.

4- Start blending these ingredients, then gradually add tablespoons of olive oil until you obtain a pesto with a smooth and creamy texture.

Turkey preparation

The next step of the recipe is to grill the turkey fillets cut into pieces. Adding a lean protein makes this dish more balanced and filling.

1- Cut the turkey fillets into strips.

2- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pan.

3- Sauté the turkey pieces over high heat for about 10 minutes, until they are golden on all sides.

4- Season the meat with salt and pepper, then add a tablespoon of pesto and mix.

5- Set aside until assembling the zucchini tagliatelle with turkey.

Preparation of zucchini tagliatelle

Preparing vegetable tagliatelle is an original way to cook zucchini.

1- Wash and dry the zucchinis.

2- Cut off their ends and make zucchini tagliatelle using a spiralizer, a mandolin, or a simple vegetable peeler.

3- Try to get the thinnest and longest strips possible. Stop when you reach the center of the zucchini where the seeds are.

4- For this zucchini tagliatelle with turkey recipe, I recommend blanching the vegetable tagliatelle for a few minutes in a pot of boiling salted water.

5- As soon as the tagliatelle is cooked to your liking, drain them and season with about 3 tablespoons of pesto.

Assembly of zucchini tagliatelle with turkey

1- Heat a large pan without adding any fat.

2- Quickly sauté the zucchini tagliatelle with the turkey pieces.

3- Just before serving, you can sprinkle the dish with pine nuts and a few fresh basil leaves.