Pesto Shrimp with Zucchini Noodles

Zucchini Noodles with Pesto Shrimp is a quick and healthy meal that's packed with flavor from a healthy homemade basil pesto but good for you since it uses zucchini noodles instead of traditional pasta. Perfect for a low carb, keto, or healthy diet. And if you love pesto, you don't want to miss these Pesto Chicken and Skinny Pesto recipes.

Pesto is one of those dishes that seems healthy when you first think about it but is usually packed with so much oil and cheese that it quickly becomes a calorie bomb. In fact, most pesto has about 80 calories and 8 grams of fat for just one tablespoon. I don't know about you, but that's quite a lot considering you need a lot more than one tablespoon for most recipes. In fact, a popular pesto shrimp pasta restaurant dish may have over 750 calories.

To combat that, I have been making my own pesto for years now. It uses all the same ingredients just in different proportions to make it much healthier.

Trust me, you won't miss all the extra oil. I use it all the time with pasta, spaghetti squash, chicken, and my absolute favorite, shrimp. I just love the combination of pesto and shrimp - so good.

With that in mind, I created this simple dish using this homemade pesto, zucchini noodles, and quickly sauteed shrimp. It's ready in less than 20 minutes and tastes amazing. Full of pesto flavor, sweet shrimp, and plenty of zucchini noodles.

How to make homemade pesto (lightened up)

• 2 cups basil leaves, packed
• 6 tbsp. water
• 4 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• Directions: Add everything to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Add a touch of red pepper flakes for some spice.

Making pesto at home is easy. One of the reasons I love to make it at home is that it means you get to control the ingredients and also the amount of oil. Here is my basic recipe for lightened-up pesto.

Tips and Tricks for Making Pesto Shrimp with Zucchini Noodles

• Protein: You can use all different types of protein in this dish. I have made it with chicken, ground turkey, chicken sausage, and salmon. Sometimes we make a mash-up of this dish with these Sausage Zucchini Noodles.
• Noodles: When I make dishes like this, I usually make some whole grain pasta on the side for other family members to add to the dish. This makes it heartier and more filling for them but also makes sure they are getting lots of veggies too. You could also use spaghetti squash or other veggie noodles in place of the zucchini noodles.
• Dairy Free Version: If you are dairy-free, you can make this with nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan cheese. The pesto turns out great and you can sprinkle some extra on top before serving.
• Veggies: Sometimes I add in some fresh cherry tomatoes or canned fire roasted diced tomatoes as well.

Looking for other zucchini noodle recipes?

• Asian Zucchini Noodles
• Blackened Salmon with Zucchini Noodles
• Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles with Sausage
• Thai Red Curry Pork with Zucchini Noodles
• Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles

The Best Way to Make Zucchini Noodles

• The easiest way to make zucchini noodles is with a spiralizer. I have this one that pairs with my Kitchen Aid mixer and I couldn't be happier with it. If you don't have a Kitchen Aid mixer or want a less expensive option, there are tons of good options. For most options, all you have to do it cut off the ends, insert it into the spiralizer, and turn to create little zucchini spirals.
• If you don't want to use a spiralizer, you can also use a mandolin. Cut the zucchini into thin planks and then use a sharp knife to cut them into noodles.
• A final option is to use a vegetable peeler. Simply make long planks using the peeler and then use a knife to cut those into noodles. This method is fairly time-consuming and it can be difficult to use the peeler as the zucchini gets smaller.
• One important note about zucchini noodles. Zucchini naturally contains a ton of water, which is why some people complain of soggy noodles. If you have time, salt the zucchini noodles and let them rest on paper towels for 10-15 minutes. Then pat dry. This will pull out some of the water and result in a better texture for the noodle.