Shrimp Zoodles In A Rustic Homemade Tomato Sauce

Step 1

Start by prepping all of your ingredients. If using frozen shrimp, add them to a bowl of water for 10-15 minutes to thaw. Be sure to remove the vein when thawed. If using fresh shrimp, remove the vein. You can keep the shells on the shrimp. Cut the ends off of your zucchinis and use a spiralizer tool to turn the zucchini into fettuccini or “zoodles”. Set all prepped ingredients next to your stove and begin to cook.

Step 2

Make the Sauce. Heat a large skillet or cast iron over medium heat. Drizzle olive oil, then add your onion and carrot. Give it a good stir and begin to cook  until the onion becomes more opaque and carrots soften. Add the spinach all allow it to wilt, about one to two minutes. Add the tomato sauce to the pan, give it a good stir, then allow the sauce to simmer while you work on the ingredients.

Step 3

Make the Zoodles. Place a medium size pot on the stove over medium heat. Place the zoodles into the pot. No need to add oil. Place the lid on top and allow the zoodles to cook for 4-5 minutes. When you remove the lid, the zoodles should have reduce in size greatly and you should see zucchini juice on the bottom of the pot. Strain the liquid off completely. Turn heat off and set zoodles aside.

Step 4

Make the shrimp. Heat a cast iron or large pan over medium heat. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, 1 tsp salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.  When pan is hot, drizzle in olive oil, then fill the pan with the shrimp − leaving the shells on. Allow the shrimp to cook, untouched for 2-3 minutes. They will begin to look pink on the bottom half. Flip each shrimp and cook another 1 minute or so. Do not overcook. Remove shrimp from pan if batching out more or turn heat off and compile the meal.

Step 5

Season the sauce with salt and pepper. You can also add olive oil. Give it a good stir. Add the drained zoodles to the sauce pan and use tongs to toss evenly in the sauce. Heat should be at low now, so not to continue to cook the zoodles, just keeping the pan warm while you serve the meal.

Step 6

Plating. Use tongs to transfer the noodles and sauce to a bowl. Finely shave parmigiana reggiano overtop, drizzle a little olive oil, and add a pinch of salt overtop. Lastly, place several shrimp on top of the zoodles. The shrimp shell should easily come off after being cooked, but if you prefer to remove the shell, you can do so before plating. Leave the tail on for looks!