Easy Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles and Noodles

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Easy Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles and Noodles is an easy and healthy weeknight dinner recipe. Introduce your family to healthier zucchini noodles by adding them to regular whole grain pasta for a fun way to add more veggies to their diets!

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I know…I am very late on jumping on the “zoodles (zucchini noodles)” train, but now that I am on, I am LOVING IT!! I love making fun little spirals out of my veggies 🙂 Why didn’t I do this sooner!?!? Sure I saw all the recipes and blog posts about this amazing way to eat your veggies, but for some reason I had a block about it. I do hate anything “trendy,” just check out the way that I dress 😉 So that might have been it, but man was I missing out! I came up with an easy recipe that includes zoodles with my Easy Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles and Noodles.

Before we get to the Easy Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles and Noodles recipe, you are going to need a spiralizer to make zoodles, well at least to easily make them. You could use a vegetable peeler, but that would be very tedious and I just don’t have the patience for that. So, I purchased a handheld spiralizer (this one: http://amzn.to/24GTBdv and that is an affiliate link) for my first attempt because it was cheaper and well…I am cheap! It also came with an eCookbook, which I liked. However I wish that I had read this post, 8 Life-Changing Ways to Use a Spiralizer from Pinch of Yum before I purchased. Lindsay says in the first minute of the how to video on the post, that she doesn’t recommend a handheld spiralizer and that she couldn’t get it to work. Well, I actually did get it to work after a few attempts, but I can see how the ones that she recommends (this one: http://amzn.to/1Yi4kHB and this one: http://amzn.to/1T7irxT both affiliate links) would be better options. And now that I am all about spiralizing my veggies, I think I need to buy one of those. Now which one? I can’t decide. If you can recommend either one, please let me know in the comments.

We all want to get more veggies in our family’s diets, right? I know that I do, but lil man and hubs are not big on the veggies. But by making them into fun curly-cue shapes that are the same shape as the pasta and then combining them, I get them to eat their veggies without a fuss!! And that is exactly what I did with this Easy Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles and Noodles. This is a great weight loss tip as well! Think about this: a cup of regular noodles made with plain pasta is 212 calories and 41 grams of carbs, while a cup of zoodles are only 21 calories and 4 grams of carbs! I don’t know about you, but when I can get more food for less calories and carbs, I am a happy girl 🙂

I did learn a valuable lesson with this little experiment with zoodles. See, I sauteed the zoodles in a little olive oil before adding them to the cooked pasta. Next time I think that I would either eat the zoodles raw or cook them for just a minute or so by dropping them into the pasta water the last minute that the pasta is cooking. I think I would like a more soft-crunchy texture than the super soft way that they turned out by cooking them too long.  I have written the recipe so that your zoodles come out soft-crunchy.

Here is your recipe and nutrition facts for Easy Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles and Noodles:

4.8 from 4 reviews

Easy Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles and Noodles

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: Becky's Best Bites

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• ½ box (about 5-6 oz.) whole wheat angel hair or spaghetti pasta
• 3-4 medium size zucchini, spiralized into zoodles
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced finely or pressed
• 1 lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• Zest and juice of 2 lemons
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flake (optional)
• 2 tsp. chives, chopped

Instructions

1. Cook pasta to al-dente according to package instructions. In the last minute of the cooking time, add zoodles to the pot. Reserve 1 cup of the starching cooking water. Drain and return to pot. Keep warm.
2. Add olive oil and butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Once butter is melted, add garlic to the pan and saute for 1-2 minutes or until just beginning to brown.
4. Add shrimp to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Turn the shrimp over and cook for 2 more minutes.
5. Add white wine, zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, red pepper flake (if using) and starchy cooking water to the pan, stir to combine and cook until reduced by half and thickened slightly, approximately 3-4 minutes.
6. Add chives and serve over a portion of zoodles and noodles.
7. Garnish with red pepper flake, more chives or parmesan cheese, if desired.

Notes

Zoodles can be served raw, if desired. Just mix in with cooked pasta right before serving.
If you would like a softer texture, they can be sauteed in a bit of olive oil before mixing in with the noodles.

3.5.3208