Lightened-up pasta dishes make eating healthy SO easy! Try my Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo which has under 500 calories per portion, and my Zucchini “Pasta” with Tomato Sauce is super light and tasty!
Easy Garlic Shrimp Scampi
Making pasta recipes healthier has been a game-changer in my kitchen! There is something so satisfying when you can finish an entire bowl, even go for seconds, and not feel an ounce of guilt after. This Healthy Shrimp Scampi recipe is 100% guilt-free. It’s really light, made with shrimp and zucchini noodles which are both low calorie but filling. And the sauce – the best part! Garlic and butter are laced with lemon, white wine, red pepper flakes, and parmesan. This scampi sauce is delectably tart and buttery with a little kick of heat. I could eat the whole dish, it is SO good! This shrimp scampi dish is finished with a sprinkle of parsley for a quick punch of freshness. I love digging into this any time of year, but especially in the hotter months when I thrive on lighter meals. It’s perfect for lunch or an evening dinner, and is keto-friendly instead of carb-heavy like the classic shrimp scampi pasta!
Ingredients for zucchini Shrimp Scampi
Zucchini: I cut 4 zucchinis into noodles by using a spiralizer. You can find spiralizers in grocery stores or online. My kitchen aid food processor comes with a spiralizer attachment too. The 4 zucchinis make a lot of noodles when they’re cut this way! Just keep in mind that the zucchini noodles do to tend to shrink as they cook. Butter & oil: I fried the shrimp in both butter and olive oil to keep them from sticking to the pan, and also for that delicious buttery taste that goes so well with shrimp! Garlic: When I think of shrimp scampi the first thing I think of is garlic! I added 5 cloves of garlic and it is SO tasty! Red pepper flakes: A little kick of heat comes just from these crushed red pepper flakes. Shrimp: Raw shrimp peeled and deveined. You can buy them already peeled and deveined, and they are usually found in the frozen foods section. White wine: Add a little dry white wine, like a pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. Pour yourself a little glass too to go with the shrimp scampi! Lemon: Is there anything better than garlicky-buttery-lemony shrimp?! Garlic, butter, and lemon go so well with seafood! Lemon adds tartness to balance the other flavors in this healthy shrimp scampi recipe. Parmesan: I grate a little parmesan over this dish at the end for a little richness and tanginess. Parsley: Gets added at the end before serving for a pop of freshness.
how to make zucchini shrimp scampi
Begin by spiralizing or slicing the zucchini into noodles and setting it aside. This is the zoodler tool I use to spiralize zucchini.
Next, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and then add in garlic and crushed red peppers. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
Add in the shrimp and cook them for 4-5 minutes or until they are pink and no longer translucent. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set them aside.
Now add wine to the pan to deglaze it by scraping the brown pieces off of the bottom. Cook the wine for 2-3 minutes until it reduces slightly.
Add the zoodles and shrimp back to the pan and cook them for 2 minutes or until the zoodles start to get tender and wilt / shrink a bit and the shrimp is warmed through.
Take off the heat and stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Finally, serve this healthy shrimp scampi immediately with parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, or parsley for serving, if desired.
Tips for Success
To remove excess water, sprinkle the zucchini noodles with salt and place them in a colander over the sink for 30 minutes. Give them a gentle squeeze with a tea towel before tossing them in the pan to cook. Just make sure to taste before adding salt to the dish. Throw in a few more vegetables to mix this healthy shrimp scampi up a little! I like to toss in some sundried tomatoes or sliced red bell pepper and cook it for a few minutes in the pan before adding the zoodles back in. Buy the shrimp already peeled and deveined to save time! I usually find it in the frozen fish section of my grocery store.
what goes well with shrimp scampi?
Any of these side dishes complement shrimp scampi really well:
More zucchini recipes you will love
Keto Pasta with Tomato Sauce Zucchini Noodle Stir Fry Healthy Brownies Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe Easy Zucchini Muffins
