We love shrimp at our house and Shrimp and Zucchini Noodles (also known as Zoodles) is a delicious alternative to pasta. Since becoming prediabetic, I have scaled back on the carbs saving items like pasta and desserts for special occasions or my once (or twice) a week indulgences.
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But I promise even those without dietary restrictions will find this dish a nice addition to their home menu. Because it doesn’t matter how healthy it is. If it’s not delicious, it’s not worth wasting calories on.
When I create dishes at home, my first thought is would I be able to serve this in a restaurant? Would it impress my guests? And the answer to both those questions is yes.
This is a restaurant-quality dish that you can make in your home in less than 30 minutes at a fraction of the cost of eating out. That’s a win-win in my book.
What Ingredients do I need to make Shrimp and Zucchini Noodles?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Shrimp and Zoodles al Pesto. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the up cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
What Spiralizer is the best to use?
There are a lot of good spiralizers you can choose from, but this is the one I use in my home kitchen and that I used to make Shrimp and Zucchini Noodles.
Start by sauteing the shrimp for the dish. Cook them till they are almost completely done. Then set them aside until you’re ready for them.
I love mushrooms so I’ve included them in my Shrimp and Zucchini Noodle dish. If you’re not a fan feel free to leave them out. But in my restaurant days mushrooms found their way into many of my dishes.
First of all they’re delicious and a rich, low-calorie source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants. Plus they’re an inexpensive way to add volume to the dish.
After sauteing the mushrooms, add the zucchini, yellow squash noodles, and garlic to the pan. This is where the tricky part comes in. You want to cook the zucchini noodles long enough so they’re not raw tasting, but not overcook them so they become mushy.
This is definitely not a prepare ahead dish, you need to serve this dish as soon as the zucchini noodles are cooked!
Add the pesto, tomatoes and seasonings to the pan. Continue cooking for about a minute to blend it all together. This dish can be heavily seasoned, the squash and mushrooms will be pretty flat on their own. The pesto adds great flavor to the dish and you can add as much or as little as you like.
*The tomatoes don’t have to be hot.
If you are going to make your own pesto, try my delicious pesto Genovese.
The last step is adding the shrimp to the dish and getting everything blended together and hot.
Serve the Shrimp and Zoodles with grated Romano cheese, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Chef Dennis Tip:
If you have veggie-resistant people in your household, try mixing the zucchini noodles with spaghetti to get them use to eating the zoodles.
More Shrimp Recipes You’ll Love!
- Garlic Shrimp with Supergreens and Pasta
- Shrimp Etouffee
- Shrimp Fra Diavolo
- Shrimp and Cheesy Grits
- Lemon Basil Shrimp with Supergreens
Shrimp and Zucchini Noodles al Pesto
Equipment
- spiralizer
Ingredients
- 2 large zucchini
- 12-14 large shrimp peeled and deveined – I used 16/20 count shrimp
- 2 large yellow squash
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes sliced in half or left whole
- 2 tablespoon pesto more or less to your tastes
- 2 tablespoon grated Romano cheese more or less depending upon your tastes
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper more or less depending upon your tastes
Instructions
- Prepare or buy zucchini noodles
- Saute the shrimp untill they are almost completely done. Then set aside until your ready for them.
- Saute the mushrooms in olive oil over medium high heat until they are full cooked
- Add the zucchini, yellow squash noodles and garlic to the pan. This is where the tricky part comes in. You want to cook the zucchini noodles long enough so they’re not raw tasting, but not overcook them so they become mushy.
- Add the pesto, tomatoes and seasonings to the pan. Continue cooking for about a minute to blend it all together. This dish can be heavily seasoned, the squashj and mushrooms will be pretty flat on their own. The pesto adds great flavor to the dish and you can add as much or as little as you like.
- Add the shrimp to the pan, blending the mixture and making sure the shrimp are hot and fully cooked.
- Serve the Shrimp and Zoodles with grated Romano cheese, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Jlcr says
The recipe doesn’t say how much shrimp but I’ve been known to be blind at times so let me know!!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’ve having some issues with my plug-in and ingredients have just been disappearing. Thanks for pointing it out, I just added the shrimp back into the recipe.
Christa says
The ingredient list calls for squash but I don’t see it in the recipe anywhere? Can you clarify?
Thank you in advance!
Chef Dennis Littley says
zucchini is also squash, and they are both in the recipe card sorry for the confusion.
silvia says
What a great combination. A fairly simple recipe to prepare but full of flavor and textures. The shrimp and zucchini tasted so good together.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
This is such a great recipe and can’t wait to try it with my garden fresh zucchini. It is so simple to make and perfect for weeknight dinners.
Jamie says
This is so great during the summer when I want something lighter than pasta! It uses all the summer veggies too which is great because everything is so seasonal!
Brianna says
We had a ton o zucchini in our garden so I had to make this. Absolutely love the combo of shrimp and pesto.
Kate says
We have been looking for healthy low carb meals and this one fitted the bill. Tasted absolutely amazing!