Garlicky Tomato-Basil Shrimp with Zoodles
Try this Garlicky Tomato-Basil Shrimp with Zoodles recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Garlicky Tomato-Basil Shrimp with Zoodles recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 0.363330654761905 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0129047619047619 g
- Fiber 0.0407619041027058 g
- Protein 0.10250625 g
- Saturated Fat 0.00139639880952381 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (153g)
- Sodium 0.219404761904762 mg
- Sugar 0.322568750659199 g
- Trans Fat 0.00301684523809524 g
- Calories 2 calories
Step-by-step
- Spiralize zucchini using the fattest noodle blade then add to a colander set atop a bowl. Lightly salt then toss with your fingers to coat. Cover then place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour to drain excess liquid.
- Add tomatoes and basil to a large bowl with 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil then season with salt and pepper, stir to combine, and set aside.
- Heat 1-1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat shrimp very dry between paper towels then season tops with garlic salt and pepper. Add half the shrimp to the skillet seasoning-side down then saute for 2 minutes per side, or until cooked through, then transfer to bowl with tomatoes and basil. Heat another 1-1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in the skillet then saute remaining shrimp. When shrimp have 30 seconds left add garlic then saute until fragrant, and then add to the bowl and stir everything to combine.
- Meanwhile, remove zoodles from refrigerator then pat dry with paper towels. Heat remaining Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in the skillet then add zoodles. Season with salt and pepper then saute until crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes. Plate zoodles then top with garlicky tomato-basil shrimp and serve.
Swapping standard semolina pasta for spiralized zucchini fundamentally alters the structural dynamics of the plate by introducing high water content that requires careful management through osmotic pre-treatment. Zucchini consists of approximately ninety-five percent water, meaning raw strands will shed liquid rapidly upon contact with heat, turning a sauce watery unless salted in a colander for thirty minutes to an hour to draw out excess moisture via osmosis. This preparation technique mirrors the Mediterranean tradition of lightly salting summer vegetables before pairing them with acid-forward components like fresh tomatoes and aromatic herbs. Such low-carb iterations draw inspiration from coastal Italian coastal cooking where seafood meets seasonal garden produce, though substituting traditional pasta changes the sauce retention properties entirely since vegetable ribbons lack starches to bind oils and pan juices. To prevent rubbery textures, jumbo shrimp in the sixteen to twenty count range require thorough surface drying with paper towels before hitting a skillet heated to medium-high, ensuring the exterior proteins brown properly in olive oil rather than steaming. Minced garlic burns easily under high thermal energy, which is why it enters the pan during the final thirty seconds of the second shrimp batch, releasing volatile sulfur compounds without turning acrid. Reheating leftover zoodles presents a distinct physical challenge because microwaving causes the cell walls to collapse further, releasing trapped water; consuming this dish immediately yields the optimal crisp-tender texture achieved after two to three minutes in the pan.
