Need a quick and easy lunch, or an extra light dinner? You can whip up this recipe in under a half an hour—and even less if you have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go!
Shrimp and zucchini cook up in a snap, making them ideal for a quick dinner that require less than 10 minutes of active cooking time. Plus, zucchini noodles are a great substitution when you’re craving pasta.
You can buy “zoodles” in packages at the store, but if you have a spiralizer, you can easily make them yourself at home. Just cut the ends off a zucchini and send it through your spiralizer, or use a sharp knife to julienne into long strips by hand.
Start by searing fresh or frozen peeled shrimp in a hot skillet with olive oil. Cook for one minute on each side without stirring. It might be tempting to stir, but leaving them in place will help ensure a nice crispy exterior. Season the shrimp with garlic, red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds, cooking until just fragrant, then use tongs to set the shrimp aside.
Use the same skillet to start building the lemon sauce. Warm a little more olive oil, then add the juice and zest of a lemon and a bit of chicken broth. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and add the zoodles, tossing them quickly to cook them evenly.
Be sure not to cook the zucchini noodles for too long—they can easily become mushy, and you want them nice and crispy. Finally, add the shrimp back to the pan just long enough to warm them through.
Serve your lemon shrimp and zoodles hot, sprinkled with more freshly cracked black pepper and fresh parsley, if you like.
Tip: For a more colorful dish, you can add thin slices of yellow, green, or red bell peppers along with the zoodles.
