I have been fascinated by the spiralizer vegetable craze. So I bought an inexpensive spiralizer to try my hand at making zucchini noodles to see what all the fuss is about. I read the tips that came with the gadget and watched a video, so I would get it right. This little spiralizer did an excellent job and I had no difficulty operating it.

Some tips I picked up:

Spiralizers work best with straight vegetables, so you may have to trim them or cut them in half.

In order to get long spirals, the vegetable should be at least an inch and a half in diameter.

After washing the produce cut one end off and keep one end uncut to use to grip the vegetable.

Zucchini is a watery vegetable. After you spiralize the zucchini, dry them off with a paper towel. I made the spirals in the morning and let them sit on a double thickness of paper towels until it was time to cook. They were nice and dry and could be cooked al dente.

I gave some thought to what would work well for a topping over zucchini noodles and decided on an Alfredo sauce with shrimp. You could also use chicken. This is a whole new food world to explore.

Shrimp Alfredo Over Zucchini Noodles

For 2-3 servings

Alfredo Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Chopped parsley for a garnish

Shrimp
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper chili flakes
1 pound large shrimp (16-20) peeled, deveined, no tails
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Zucchini Noodles
3 medium zucchini, about 7 inches long and about 2 inches wide
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Cut the base end off the zucchini and use the other end to hold while the zucchini turns in the gadget. Place the zoodles on a double thick layer of paper towels to dry.

Alfredo Sauce
In a medium saucepan melt the butter then add the grated garlic and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.

Add all of the other ingredients except for the Parmesan cheese and  parsley.

Whisk vigorously until the cream cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.

Add the Parmesan cheese and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until it is melted and just starts to thicken.

Stir often until smooth, then remove from the heat, covered, until the shrimp are cooked.

Zucchini Noodles
In a large skillet, heat the butter and then add the zucchini noodles, Toss for 2-3 minutes.

Taste the noodles to determine consistency – should be “al dente”.

Place the zoodles on a platter and pour one small scoop of Alfredo sauce over them and set aside.

Shrimp
In same skillet that the zucchini was cooked in, melt the butter and add the garlic and red pepper flakes.

Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.

Salt and pepper the shrimp and then add them to the garlic butter and cook for 2 minutes on each side.

Add a small scoop of sauce to the pan and swirl the shrimp in the sauce. Pour over the zoodles on the platter.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan. Pour the extra sauce into a small serving dish and serve alongside the platter.

A tomato salad was a nice side for this dish.

 


Posted by in Cheese, Cream, Dinner, Italian Cuisine, shrimp, Vegetables, zucchini