4-Ingredient Shrimp Pesto Zucchini Pasta

I'm always looking for a simple meal with tons of flavor.. coming from an Italian family growing up pasta and pesto was always a go-to meal!  However, sometimes we might forget to add in some fiber-rich veggies or a lean protein into the mix.  Well this recipes provides the best of both worlds - bringing you ZUCCHINI noodles along with shrimp! This recipe provides a healthy amount of lean protein to help with satiety as well as packaged up with important nutrients like Zinc, Selenium, B12 and Iron.  Paired with healthy fats of our pesto (which is made with basil, pine nuts and olive oil) and some fiber-rich vegetables of zucchini (spiraled into noodles)- this recipe gets a huge thumbs up as a dietitian! 

4-Ingredient Shrimp Pesto Zucchini Pasta

Serves: 4

Time: 15 minutes

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 # Frozen Shrimp, any size (I prefer medium size), deveined and no tails

• 2 Large Zucchini (use an easy handheld spiralizer - you can get for $10 at target/CVS/Kroger etc.)

• 1/4-1/2 cup pesto (you can find a jar of basil pesto (green in color) in the pasta or international section of your grocery store)

• olive oil

• salt/pepper to taste

1. Start by adding olive oil and garlic to a large skillet over medium heat.  Let garlic cook about 3 minutes until it starts to turn slightly brown at the edges.

2. Meanwhile, let frozen shrimp de-thaw under running water. Start spiralizing your zucchini in a large bowl on the side.

3. Once garlic is sautéed with oil, add thawed shrimp to the skillet. Cook until shrimps start to turn pink (~5 minutes), turning about halfway through so they cook evenly on both sides.

4. Once shrimp turn pink, add in spiraled zucchini and pesto. Stir to combine and let cook 2-3 minutes, just so zucchini is slightly cooked. Season with salt/pepper to taste

5. Serve with option of sprinkled red pepper flakes and fresh basil.