Why You’ll Love This Garlic Shrimp with Zucchini Noodles

• It’s unbelievably quick. From fridge to table in about 15 minutes, this recipe is a lifesaver on those nights when time is not on your side. You’ll have a restaurant-quality meal ready faster than you could get takeout delivered.
• The flavor is out of this world. The combination of sweet shrimp, pungent garlic, rich butter, and zesty lemon creates a symphony in your mouth. It’s simple, yes, but sometimes simple is the most sophisticated thing of all.
• It feels light and nourishing. Swapping traditional pasta for zucchini noodles means you can enjoy a big, satisfying bowl without that heavy, sluggish feeling afterwards. It’s a meal that truly makes you feel good from the inside out.
• It’s incredibly versatile. This is a fantastic base recipe that you can tweak endlessly. Throw in some cherry tomatoes, add a pinch of chili flakes for heat, or swap the parsley for basil. It’s your canvas to play with.

Ingredients & Tools

• 450 g large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 medium zucchinis, spiralized
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon (juice and zest)
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• To taste: salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Optional: ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Tools: A large skillet, a spiralizer or julienne peeler, a microplane or zester, and a pair of tongs.

Honestly, the quality of your ingredients really shines here. Fresh, wild-caught shrimp will have a sweeter, cleaner taste, and using real butter (not margarine) is non-negotiable for that rich, silky sauce. A little goes a long way when everything is this fresh.

Serves: 2 | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 8 minutes | Total Time: 18 minutes

Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes

• Dry those shrimp! This might be the most important step. Pat your peeled shrimp thoroughly with paper towels before they hit the pan. Wet shrimp will steam instead of sear, and we want a nice, light crust on them.
• Don’t skip the zucchini prep. After you spiralize your zucchini, place the “noodles” in a colander and sprinkle them lightly with salt. Let them sit for 5-10 minutes. This draws out excess water, so your final dish isn’t a watery mess.
• Mince, don’t crush the garlic. A fine mince will distribute the garlic flavor more evenly throughout the dish and is less likely to burn than larger chunks or a paste. The goal is fragrant, golden garlic, not bitter, burnt garlic.
• Have everything ready to go. This recipe cooks so quickly that you won’t have time to chop parsley or juice a lemon once you start. Do all your prep first—it’s called ‘mise en place’ and it makes you feel like a pro chef.

How to Make Garlic Shrimp with Zucchini Noodles

Serving Suggestions

Complementary Dishes

• A simple arugula salad — The peppery bite of arugula dressed with just a splash of lemon vinaigrette provides a crisp, refreshing contrast to the rich, warm shrimp and noodles.
• Crusty, warm bread — A slice of toasted sourdough or a warm baguette is absolutely essential for sopping up every last drop of that delicious garlic butter sauce left in the bowl.
• Roasted asparagus — Toss some asparagus spears in olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast them while you cook the shrimp. It adds a lovely, elegant green component to the plate.

Drinks

• A crisp Sauvignon Blanc — The bright acidity and citrus notes in this wine mirror the lemon in the dish perfectly, cutting through the richness of the butter.
• A light lager or pilsner — A cold, clean beer is fantastic with the garlicky shrimp. Its effervescence cleanses the palate beautifully between bites.
• Sparkling water with lemon — For a non-alcoholic option, the bubbles and citrus are just as refreshing and palate-cleansing as the other choices.

Something Sweet

• Lemon sorbet — Continuing the citrus theme, a scoop of tangy, clean lemon sorbet is the perfect light dessert to follow this meal. It feels like a fresh finish.
• Fresh berries with whipped cream — A bowl of mixed berries, maybe with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, is simple, sweet, and never feels too heavy.
• Dark chocolate squares — Just a few squares of high-quality dark chocolate (70% or higher) with a cup of coffee is a sophisticated and easy way to end the evening.

Top Mistakes to Avoid

• Mistake: Overcooking the shrimp. Shrimp cook incredibly fast and become rubbery and tough if left on the heat for too long. The moment they curl and turn pink, they’re done. I’ve messed this up before too, and it’s a real shame.
• Mistake: Not salting and draining the zucchini. Zucchini is about 95% water. If you skip the salting step, you’ll end up with a soupy skillet. Taking those extra few minutes makes all the difference in the world for the final texture.
• Mistake: Burning the garlic. Garlic has a very low burning point. If your heat is too high, it will turn bitter and ruin the entire sauce. Keep the heat low and your attention high when you add it to the butter.
• Mistake: Crowding the skillet. If you put too many shrimp in the pan at once, they’ll steam instead of sear. You want a nice, single layer with a little space between each one for the best texture.

Expert Tips

• Tip: Use frozen shrimp. Honestly, high-quality frozen shrimp are often fresher than “fresh” shrimp at the counter, which may have been previously frozen and thawed. Just thaw them overnight in the fridge for the best result.
• Tip: Brown the butter. For a deeper, nuttier flavor, let the butter cook a bit longer before adding the garlic until it turns a light golden brown and smells toasty. It adds a whole new dimension to the dish.
• Tip: Add the zest. Don’t just juice the lemon—use a microplane to zest it first! The zest contains powerful citrus oils that add an incredible burst of fragrance and flavor without extra liquid.
• Tip: Finish with fresh herbs. Adding a final sprinkle of fresh parsley (or basil, or chives) right at the end, off the heat, keeps its color bright and flavor fresh, making the dish look and taste restaurant-quality.

FAQs

Can I make this ahead of time?
You can do some prep ahead, but I wouldn’t recommend cooking the entire dish in advance. You can spiralize the zucchini and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for a day. You can also peel and devein the shrimp a day ahead. But the actual cooking should be done just before serving, as the zucchini noodles will release water upon reheating and the shrimp can become tough.

My sauce turned out watery. What happened?
This almost always happens if the zucchini noodles weren’t salted and drained properly. Remember, zucchini is like a sponge full of water. The salting step draws that water out. If you’re in a pinch, you can also toss the cooked noodles in the hot pan for a minute longer to evaporate some of the liquid, but pre-salting is the best prevention.

Can I use a different protein?
Absolutely! Thinly sliced chicken breast or scallops would be fantastic substitutes. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly. Chicken will take longer to cook through, while scallops will be about as quick as the shrimp. The garlic butter sauce is a perfect partner for many proteins.

What if I don’t have a spiralizer?
No problem at all! You can use a julienne peeler to create similar noodle-like strips. Alternatively, you can use a standard vegetable peeler to create wide, flat “pappardelle-style” zucchini ribbons. They’ll cook just as quickly and be just as delicious.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheating is tricky because the zucchini will release more water. The best method is to reheat it gently in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often, to help evaporate the excess liquid. It won’t be quite as perfect as fresh, but it’ll still be tasty!