Pesto Turkey Mushroom Zoodle Bake (Printable)

Spiralized zucchini noodles with ground turkey, mushrooms, and creamy pesto sauce, topped with melted mozzarella and Parmesan.

# List of ingredients:

→ Proteins

01 - 1 lb ground turkey

→ Vegetables

02 - 3 medium zucchini, spiralized into noodles
03 - 8 oz cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
07 - 2 cups fresh baby spinach

→ Sauce & Dairy

08 - 1/2 cup basil pesto
09 - 1 cup heavy cream
10 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
11 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 - 1 tbsp olive oil
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

14 - Fresh basil leaves
15 - Extra Parmesan cheese

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 2–3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
03 - Add ground turkey, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook 5–7 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through.
04 - Add mushrooms and cook 4–5 minutes until softened and any liquid has evaporated.
05 - Stir in cherry tomatoes and spinach; cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
06 - Reduce heat to low. Add pesto and heavy cream; stir to combine and simmer 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed.
07 - Remove from heat. Gently fold in spiralized zucchini noodles.
08 - Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
09 - Top evenly with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
10 - Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
11 - Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil and extra Parmesan if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Its comfort food that wont leave you feeling weighed down or sluggish afterward
  • The creamy pesto sauce makes everything feel indulgent while keeping carbs low
  • You can prep everything in one skillet then transfer to bake, meaning minimal cleanup
02 -
  • Zucchini releases a lot of water during cooking, so don't skip the step of cooking off the mushroom liquid first or you'll end up with a watery bake
  • Letting the dish rest for those 5 minutes seems like torture when it smells this good, but cutting into it too soon makes everything runny
03 -
  • If your zoodles are especially long, use kitchen scissors to snip them into shorter pieces before folding them into the sauce, this makes serving much less messy
  • Don't skip the step of salting your turkey before browning, it makes a huge difference in the overall flavor

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