Low Carb Zucchini Pasta with Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Love pasta but want to keep carbs contained along with BG levels after the meal?
Zucchini noodles are the best – a great way to include more veggies with your meal and so low in carb that you can have a second serving without being close to the carb count in a single serving of regular pasta!
The original recipe is here: downshiftology.com

However, I love to add to the recipe and make it with a bit more veggie content. I’ve added the vegetables with an * that were not in the original recipe.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 medium zucchini
• 2 cups raw baby spinach – chopped*
• 1 medium yellow onion – chopped*
• ½ cup grape tomatoes, cut in half length-wise (save for topping at the end)*
• 1.5 lb (approx. 30) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp butter or ghee
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 1/4 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: 

1. Wash and cut the ends of the zucchini. Using a spiralizer or a mandoline set on 1/8 julienne, make the zucchini pasta. Then, set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in one flat layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for one minute without stirring, so the bottom side gets a little crispy.
3. Add the chopped garlic and onion, then stir the shrimp for another minute or two to cook the other side. Use a large spoon or tongs to remove the shrimp to a plate.
4. Add the butter, lemon juice and zest, red pepper flakes and white wine or chicken broth to the pan. Bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes while stirring.
5. Stir in the parsley and chopped spinach, then add the zucchini pasta and toss for 30 seconds to warm it up. Allow spinach to wilt. Add the shrimp back to the pan and stir for another minute.
6. Serve immediately with chopped grape tomatoes and a sprinkle of parmesan or nutritional yeast.

A helpful tip for cooking zucchini noodles – they get soft very fast, so all you want to do is heat up the zucchini pasta until it is warm. It will be crisp and similar to al dente pasta.

Nutrition facts:

Yield: 4 servings, Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 306.2
Total Fat: 14.5g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Cholesterol: 289mg
Sodium: 230.7mg
Carbohydrates: 13.3g
Fiber: 3.4g
Sugar: 8.4g
Protein: 27.4g