We’re officially 10 weeks out from meeting baby boy #2 which means I’ve officially reached the “get way too full way too fast” point of this pregnancy as my stomach is currently being squished by a wee baby knee. Aw! But also…ow!
That said, I’m a volume eater – love me some GIANT salads, BIG steaks, and HUGE plates of pasta – so when the amount of food I’m able to eat gets slashed, you better believe that what I do get to eat has to be full of flavor.
Skinny Shrimp Piccata with Zoodles is also fitting the bill! All the flavor of buttery, lemony piccata made with a fraction of the butter, jumbo shrimp instead of breaded and pan-fried chicken, and zoodles (zucchini noodles, y’all) instead of regular spaghetti noodles. No compromises made on the capers, lemon, and parmesan cheese though – like I said, what I’m eating these days has to be packed with flavor and these three ingredients are what make piccata, piccata!
Less than 20 minutes cooking time, made in one skillet, low-carb, gluten-free, and no compromise on flavor. I was actually shocked at how delicious this recipe was after taking my first bite, and couldn’t wait to test it again for the blog.
Now, if you don’t like shrimp, feel free to go the chicken breast route. You could marinate them in a lemon dressing first, or season with garlic salt and pepper, like I did with the shrimp, before sauting. I think salmon would be unbelievable paired with the crisp-tender, lemony zoodles, too!
Start with 4 small, thin zucchini. I look for zucchini that are the same circumference from top to bottom, but if you can only find ones that are a little misshapen, that’s fine too! Thin zucchini are preferable to big fat zucchini as they contain more liquid which could make your dish watery at the end.
Slice the tops and bottoms off the zucchini then send them through your spiralizer fitted with the fattest blade to create zoodles. I own a Paderno Spiralizer and love it!
Add the zoodles to a colander set atop a bowl then sprinkle with salt and toss with your fingertips to coat. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour then use a kitchen towel or paper towels to remove the excess water from the surface of the zoodles by pressing and/or gently squeezing. This is the step that will save you from watery zoodle dishes so definitely don’t skip it.
Once the zoodles are ready, pat 1lb jumbo shrimp (16/20 count) very dry with paper towels then season both sides with garlic salt and pepper.
Add 1-1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil to a large, 12″+ skillet over heat that’s just a touch above medium, then add half the shrimp and saute for 2 minutes a side, or until cooked through. With shrimp this large, I like to roll them on their tails at the end to make sure they’re cooked through.
When the shrimp have 30 seconds left to cook, squeeze in fresh lemon juice for a burst of bright flavor then saute until the juice evaporates, which should happen very quickly. Remove the shrimp to a plate then repeat with the second half of the shrimp.
Once all the shrimp are cooked, melt 2 Tablespoons butter in the skillet then add 2 minced garlic cloves and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the zoodles to the skillet then turn the heat up to medium-high and saute until crisp tender, 3-4 minutes. Finally add 2 Tablespoons capers, 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, and a big squeeze of fresh lemon juice then toss to combine.
Season to taste with salt and pepper then swirl the zoodles onto plates, top with the shrimp, and dig in! Hope you love this lighter, low-carb Simple Shrimp Piccata with Zoodles!
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Simple Shrimp Piccata with Zoodles
Description
Skinny Shrimp Piccata with Zoodles is low-carb, gluten-free, and cooks in under 20 minutes in just one skillet. Fresh, light, and delicious!
Ingredients
- 4 small, thin zucchini
- 1lb jumbo shrimp (16/20 count,) peeled and deveined
- salt, garlic salt, and pepper
- 1 lemon, cut in half
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons capers
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Spiralize zucchini using the fattest noodle blade then add to a colander set atop a bowl. Lightly salt the zoodles, toss with your fingers to coat, then cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to one hour to drain. Pat or gently squeeze excess liquid from the zucchini with paper towels or a kitchen towel then set aside.
- Pat shrimp very dry between paper towels then season both sides with garlic salt and pepper. Heat 1-1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large, 12”+ skillet over heat that’s just a touch above medium then add half the shrimp and saute for 2 minutes a side, or until cooked through. When shrimp have 30 seconds left to cook, drizzle in a little lemon juice then remove shrimp to a plate once the lemon juice has evaporated. Heat remaining 1-1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in the skillet then saute remaining shrimp, repeating the lemon juice step at the end.
- Melt butter in the skillet then add the garlic and saute until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add zoodles then turn heat up slightly and saute until crisp tender, 3-4 minutes. Add a drizzle of lemon juice, the capers, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste, then toss to combine. Plate then top with cooked shrimp and serve.
Notes
- I use a Paderno Spiralizer >
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Noelle 01.20.2017
This was SOO good – a hit with the whole family! I can’t believe how much flavor it had and how easy it was. I loved the tip on the zoodles as well to keep them from getting soggy. Your recipes are awesome! Easy, healthy and so much flavor. Thank you!
31 Healthy Dinner Recipes That Take 30 Minutes or Less - Fox and Briar 01.01.2017
[…] Skinny Shrimp Piccata with Zoodles by Iowa Girl Eats […]
KalynsKitchen 10.07.2016
Hi, just letting you know that I featured this recipe in my weekly Low-Carb Recipe Love on Fridays post today. (And I leave these comments partly so I know I have featured this recipe in case I find it again!) Hope you have a great weekend.
Kristin 10.07.2016
Thank you so much, Kalyn, I really appreciate it! Have a great weekend!
Julie 09.26.2016
I don’t have a spiralizer & none of the grocery stores I went to carried the pre-made zoodles so I just used angel hair pasta. This got RAVE reviews from the hubby! Seriously, he went ON & ON about how good it was! :)
Kristin 09.26.2016
Yay!! That is so great, Julie, thanks for letting me know! :)
Italian-Style Chicken Sliders + The Inspiralizer Giveaway! | Gluten Free Web 08.29.2016
[…] chop the noodles then add to a big bowl. In my last zoodle recipe I instructed you to draw the moisture out of the zucchini by lightly salting them, so you don’t […]
Sandra 08.24.2016
Made this Saturday night, and it was AMAZING!!!!! First time I visited your Blog, you are a Rock Star Iowa Girl!!!! Will be “visiting” you on a regular basis!!
Kristin 08.29.2016
Wohoo, so glad to hear it, Sandra!! Thanks for the feedback! :)
Nora 08.21.2016
Oh my, made this last night – a m a z i n g!!! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Kristin 08.23.2016
Thank you so much for the feedback, Nora! I’m so glad you loved the dish!
Kristin 08.17.2016
Made this last night! Was planning on making a zoodle/shrimp recipe and when I saw this I realized I had everything on hand. Will definitely be making again, great light summer meal!
Kristin 08.17.2016
Thank you so much for the feedback, Kristin! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
Stella @ Stellicious Life 08.16.2016
I love zucchini and I love shrimp, don’t know why I never thought of mixing the two, this sounds delicious! Unfortunately my stomach can’t tolerate garlic, so I’ll have to leave that out, but I’m sure the fresh lemony zoodles + shrimp will be a perfect summer dish even like that :-)
Sarah 08.16.2016
This was absolutely delicious! I wished there was more when I was finished. Also loved not feeling over-full
Kristin 08.16.2016
That’s why I love it too. Love big plates of pasta but not necessarily the “omg I’m going to burst” feeling afterwards!
Sara Burnette 08.15.2016
This is sooooo good! This was my first time making zucchini noodles. I’m very impressed! They were so filling without that over-full feeling you can get from pasta. Thank you for the delicious recipe.
Kristin 08.16.2016
Yes, exactly!! I’m so glad you liked them, Sara!
emily 08.14.2016
Made this delicious and healthy recipe last night. Perfect light meal for the insanely hot weather we are having in PA. Thanks!
Kristin 08.14.2016
Sooo glad to hear it, Emily! Thanks for the feedback – and stay cool!
Sarah 08.12.2016
Ok so the baby’s name is going to be Steele Johnson??? ??
Amy 08.12.2016
YUM, this looks so good and easy to fix, thanks IGE! Congrats on choosing a name for your new little-one-to-meet-soon, too:)
Kristin 08.12.2016
Aw, thanks Amy! :)
Taylor 08.12.2016
yumm! I just made zucchini noodles with shrimp and pesto last night! I will definitely be giving this a try!!! Have a great weekend!
Kristin 08.12.2016
That sounds delicious! Will definitely have to try. :)
Brenda 08.12.2016
Love your chicken piccata so I must try this! And thanks for the tip to prevent soggy zoodles! I have been having this problem!
Kristin 08.12.2016
Yes – all the same flavors! I hope you love it!
Carla 08.12.2016
I was kind of thinking you should name this new boy Todd. Then, have another baby (a girl named Mary) so your children would be Mary, Todd, Lincoln! :)
Kristin 08.12.2016
Hehehe! That would requires us having a third child though… ?
Lindsay | BluegrassBites 08.12.2016
Those capers and that cheese – yum!!!
Laura 08.12.2016
Oh man . . . I hope you name him Boomer!
Kristin 08.12.2016
HAHA! That was already out of the running – my first childhood dog was named Boomer! ;)
Shirley 08.12.2016
Looks great Kristin! What brand of Spiralizer do you use?
Kristin 08.12.2016
I use the Paderno Spiralizer! :) http://amzn.to/1UftItt