Pesto Shrimp Zoodles

A typical Saturday trip to our local Del Mar Farmer’s Market this past weekend inspired this dish, which we have made twice now with the same ingredients. Zucchini has still been available in abundance, and since we were able to purchase a big bag for only $3, we figured we should find a way to use as much as possible.

It took us a few tries to get in the groove with our spiralizer, but we now love it and use it all the time. Whenever we purchase a lot of zucchini at the market, zoodles are a great option, and since we had been working on our test-run Thanksgiving turkey the night before, we welcomed something lighter for our Sunday night dinner.

We’ve also been growing a basil plant in our kitchen for a few weeks now (which is a big accomplishment for us!) so we used the leaves from our plant to make the pesto. We’ve also had great success growing parsley on our patio. If you’re looking for a plant that’s tough to kill we would recommend starting with parsley – plus you can put it on almost anything.

The shrimp we find at the market isn’t as cheap, but it’s sourced locally and is totally worth it for the quality. We buy a pound that is already deveined so it’s super easy to prep as well.

Another zoodle bonus (making that thing) is how quickly this dish comes together. Since shrimp cooks so quickly, it can literally be on the table in 30 minutes – perfect for a weeknight or in this case, a lazy Sunday.

Pesto Shrimp Zoodles Recipe

Pesto Ingredients

• Large handful basil leaves
• Large handful parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup pine nuts and/or sunflower seeds
• 1/4 shredded parmesan
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Juice of half a lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 1 garlic clove

Zoodles Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large shallot, small diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 lemon
• 3-4 zucchinis, spiralized
• Salt and pepper
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• Extra chopped herbs to top (optional)

First, make the pesto. Add all ingredients to a small food processor, and process until smooth.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or deep saute pan (we love this one) over medium heat. Add the diced shallot and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir to combine, and continue cooking for another minute on two. Add the grape tomatoes and stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 more minutes.

Add the shrimp to the pan in a single layer, allowing them to cook for a few minutes on each side or until pink. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the shrimp as they cook. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan, and stir to combine.

When the shrimp is nice and pink, add the zucchini to the pan, and fold it in with tongs to combine all ingredients together. Continue to fold as the zucchini cooks slightly, for about 4-5 more minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste, and stir in a pinch of crushed red pepper.

Once all ingredients are combined, remove the pan from heat and stir in the pesto. Serve immediately.

We recommend serving with some toasted sourdough baguette to soak up all the juices!