For a while the wife had been wanting a vegetable spiralizer to make zucchini noodles (or zoodles if you will). After buying one of the “Made for TV” ones, we sent that back and got a Sur La Table version (here). As soon as she got it, she got to spiralizing some veggies. One of the first meals we tried was a Skinnytaste recipe for shrimp scampi using zucchini noodles. We’re both a fan of pasta dishes, so it made sense to give this a shot.
Putting the zucchini through the spiralizer was a pretty simple process. As you can see in the shot below, the “zoodles” came out pretty good. You can set the thickness of the zoodles depending on how you want them to come out. Since we were making a pasta dish, we opted for thinner ones as we like angel hair pasta.
The recipe came together easily after the zucchini noodles were all made up. To add a little extra to the dish the wife roasted up some cherry tomatoes in the oven. We let them get a nice little color on them while we put together the pasta dish. Once the shrimp was done cooking in the pan, you go ahead and add the other ingredients. We through the noodles and tomatoes into the pan and gave them a mix. We threw on the last of the ingredients and got them to the plates. To top them off, we put some parmesan cheese on top (it’s still a pasta dish after all…and I am Italian).
The dish was really good. The zoodles still had a little crunch to them and were not mushy. There was enough lemon and garlic in there to add a really nice flavor. The red pepper flakes added a nice little bite that we both like on our pasta dishes. The roasted tomatoes really added a nice change of texture and flavor to the dish as well. The wife complimented the meal the entire time, while I just shoved it in my face. You can tell how much I like a meal to how little I talk while eating it.
We’ve made some other zucchini noodle recipes since we’ve gotten the spiralizer and the’ve been great. It’s a nice way to change up a simple side to a meal or make a pasta dish healthier. So, another good Skinnytaste meal in the books and another kitchen gadget getting put to good use!
Ingredients:
- 2 medium zucchini, about 8 oz each
- 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil. divided
- 4 minced garlic cloves, divided
- 12 large peeled and deveined shrimp (about 6.5 oz)
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1/2 tsp fresh grated lemon zest
- 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1/8 tsp hot red pepper flakes
Directions:
- Use a mandolin fitted with a julienne blade or a spiralizer to cut the zucchini into noodles. Cut the strips into 6 to 8-inch strips.
- In a large nonstick pan, melt the butter and 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the shrimp, kosher salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Set aside.
- Add the remaining oil and garlic to the skillet, cook 30 seconds then add the zucchini noodles, kosher salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes, stirring.
- Remove from the heat, add the shrimp, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Toss well to combine and serve immediately.