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Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp is a light, healthy, and incredibly easy dish to make. In just 15 minutes, you can enjoy a flavorful meal that’s perfect for lunch or dinner. The zucchini noodles are a great alternative to traditional pasta, and when combined with sautéed shrimp and a simple garlic butter sauce, it’s a dish you’ll want to make again and again.
Enjoy your shrimp-filled zucchini noodles with a fresh green salad topped with a light vinaigrette, a slice of warm, freshly baked French bread, or tasty corn muffins.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Noodles Recipe
- Ingredients
- How To Peel And Devein Shrimp: A Step-By-Step Guide
- How To Make Zucchini Noodles Without A Spiralizer
- Recipe Variations
- How To Make Zucchini Noodles With Shrimp
- Expert Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
- Zucchini Noodles With Shrimp For One Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Noodles Recipe
- Quick and Easy: This recipe takes just 15 minutes from start to finish, perfect for busy days.
- Healthy: Zucchini noodles are low-carb and packed with nutrients, making this a guilt-free meal.
- Flavorful: The combination of garlic, butter, and shrimp creates a rich and delicious flavor.
- Light yet Satisfying: This dish is filling without being heavy, ideal for a light meal.
- Versatile: You can easily customize the recipe with different vegetables or proteins.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this single serving zucchini noodles recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Butter: I use salted butter for this recipe.
- Garlic: Fresh chopped garlic adds a lot of flavor, so don’t skip it.
- Shrimp: Medium to large shrimp work best. If you’ve got extra shrimp, consider using some in Shrimp Scampi, Shrimp Tacos, or Pad Thai.
- Zucchini: One medium zucchini is perfect. Use any extra zucchini to make Chocolate Zucchini Bread, Vegetable Casserole, or Pasta Primavera.
- Salt and Pepper: Essential for seasoning.
- Parmesan Cheese: Used as a delicious topping.
How To Peel And Devein Shrimp: A Step-By-Step Guide
- Remove the Legs: Use your fingers to pull off the shrimp’s legs.
- Crack and Peel the Shell: Gently crack open the shell from the underside using your fingers and proceed to peel it away from the shrimp’s body.
- Detach the Tail: Pinch the tail where it connects to the shrimp body and gently pull it off.
- Make a Shallow Cut: Utilize a paring knife to run a gentle cut along the shrimp’s back.
- Find and Remove the Vein: Spot the vein, appearing as a dark, gritty string along the back. Use the tip of your paring knife to carefully lift and pull it out.
How To Make Zucchini Noodles Without A Spiralizer
Want to make zucchini noodles but don’t have a spiralizer? Here’s how:
First, start with a medium-sized straight zucchini for the best results.
- Using a Spiralizer: This kitchen gadget is perfect for cutting zucchini into long, pasta-like strands. Just follow the manufacturer’s instructions. No need to peel the zucchini!
- Using a Julienne Peeler: This handy tool, usually priced around $10, can also create thin, noodle-like strips.
- Using a Mandoline Slicer: Many mandolines come with a noodle attachment. Be careful and use the guard for safety.
- Using a Standard Vegetable Peeler: This will create wider, flat noodles similar to pappardelle pasta.
Recipe Variations
You can easily change up this recipe to suit your taste:
- Spicy Shrimp: Add red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
- Lemon Garlic Shrimp: Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the shrimp for a bright, zesty flavor.
- Herb Shrimp: Add fresh herbs like basil or parsley for extra flavor.
- Asian-Inspired: Use soy sauce and sesame oil instead of butter and Parmesan for an Asian twist.
How To Make Zucchini Noodles With Shrimp
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
Start by melting 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until they turn pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp from the pan and place them in a covered bowl to keep warm.
Next, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the same skillet. Add the zucchini noodles, season with black pepper, and cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing occasionally with pasta tongs.
Finally, return the shrimp and garlic butter to the skillet with the zucchini noodles and mix well. Top with shredded or grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
Expert Tips
- Perfect Zucchini Noodles: To prevent soggy noodles, keep the skin on and avoid overcooking. Lightly sauté the zucchini just until tender and crunchy.
- Avoid Sogginess: Don’t salt the zucchini while cooking, as it causes the water to release. Season the noodles after cooking if needed.
- Quick Cooking: Zucchini noodles cook very fast. Aim for 3-4 minutes, tossing gently with pasta tongs until al dente.
- Pat Dry the Shrimp: Make sure to pat the shrimp dry before cooking to get a good sear.
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Fresh garlic and shrimp make a big difference in taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, just make sure to thaw and pat them dry before cooking.
Yes, you can use pre-cooked shrimp. Just add them to the skillet with the zucchini noodles and heat until warmed through.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat.
Absolutely! Bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, or mushrooms would be great additions.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried these zucchini noodles or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!
Zucchini Noodles With Shrimp For One
Equipment
- spiralizer or use a julienne peeler, mandoline slicer, or standard vegetable peeler
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter -divided
- 1 clove garlic -minced
- 3 ounces shrimp -peeled and deveined
- 3 cups zucchini noodles (1 medium zucchini)
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 seconds.
- Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, until they are pink and opaque. Remove the shrimp from the pan and place them in a covered bowl to keep warm.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Once melted, add the zucchini noodles. Season with black pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing occasionally with pasta tongs.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add the shrimp and the garlic butter back to the skillet with the zucchini noodles. Toss to combine.
- Season with salt and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Toss again.
- Transfer to a plate and enjoy!
Notes
- Perfect Zucchini Noodles: To prevent soggy noodles, keep the skin on and avoid overcooking. Lightly sauté the zucchini just until tender and crunchy.
- Avoid Sogginess: Don’t salt the zucchini while cooking, as it causes the water to release. Season the noodles after cooking if needed.
- Quick Cooking: Zucchini noodles cook very fast. Aim for 3-4 minutes, tossing gently with pasta tongs until al dente.
- Pat Dry the Shrimp: Make sure to pat the shrimp dry before cooking to get a good sear.
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Fresh garlic and shrimp make a big difference in taste.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
why is the sodium so high
Thank you for bringing up the issue with the sodium content in our recipe. We really appreciate your feedback, and we take it seriously.
Upon reevaluating the recipe, we found that there was indeed an error in the initial calculation of the sodium content. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused. We have since updated the recipe to provide accurate information regarding the sodium content.
Added some ginger,mushrooms and yellow pepper.Loved it
I tried this last night. It was delicious! Thank you so much for all these wonderful one person recipes. Since losing my husband I’ve struggled with cooking, but am starting to enjoy it again thanks to you.
I’ve now tried a few different recipes and they’ve ALL been awesome!
Absolutely delicious! It was quick and easy, too!
I used 10 prawns from the freezer which had been peeled and deveined and weighed just over 4 ounces and used a vegetable peeler to make my zoodles from a medium zucchini and finely sliced my garlic instead of mincing and made as directed for a delicious dinner which came together so quick. Thank you made for What’s On The Menu tag game at FF&F.
What are pasta tongs and why are they better for this recipe than regular tongs? Thanks.
Pasta tongs are great for grabbing large amounts of noodles. The inner prongs lock into each other so that the pasta or zucchini noodles can be easily picked up and held together. You can use regular tongs instead if that is what you have available.
Wow. It looks delicious. I love noodles. So, I will try to make it very soon. Your recipe will help me. Thanks for sharing.
Love this for a light lunch!
This recipe was sooo easy to make and delicious, thanks so much!!
So quick and easy and so full of flavor, this is going to be my new go to lunch!!!