Missing pasta while on a Whole30? This quick and easy spicy shrimp “pasta” is made with zucchini noodles tossed in a zesty tomato garlic sauce! This weeknight meal will satisfy your cravings for a low carb, paleo, and keto-friendly pasta dish!
If—like me—you’re trying to eat more healthy seafood, this simple and crave worthy zucchini pasta dish should be a mainstay in your dinner rotation. It’s protein-packed and delicious, and I promise you won’t miss the parmesan cheese, heavy cream, or gluten!
What are good paleo and Whole30 pasta alternatives?
If you’re looking for a Whole30 pasta alternative to linguine, you’ll need to invest in a spiralizer because the only noodles allowed on a Whole30 are those made entirely from vegetables. Some examples include cooked spaghetti squash (made in the Instant Pot or microwave) and spiralized vegetables like zucchini, daikon, or sweet potato.
I like to use spiralized zucchini in this shrimp pasta recipe because zoodles don’t need to be cooked ahead of time. Besides, they’re readily available year-round at most grocery stores.
Because I like my zoodles to be slightly al dente and not watery, I simply throw them in the hot sauce to soften slightly before serving. It’s a fast and healthy way to enjoy low carb pasta. Of course, if you don’t want the hassle of making vegetable noodles but still want to keep it Whole30, feel free to serve the spicy shrimp over cauliflower rice or salad greens!
Can you make this ahead of time?
Er…not really. Shrimp doesn’t reheat well, so I like to cook this dish right before I eat it. Plus. the dish comes together so quickly (total time from start to finish is about 20 minutes) that there’s really no need to make this spicy shrimp pasta far in advance of serving. If you want, you can spiralize the zucchini ahead of time and keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Ingredients
- Large shrimp (21-25 per pound): I always have a bag of frozen wild shrimp in my freezer so I can whip up quick and easy dinners. I just throw the frozen easy-peel deveined shrimp in a colander and run tap water on ’em for a few minutes or until thawed.
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Zucchini: To serve four adults, I use one pound of zucchini. Try to choose zucchini that are straight so they spiralize uniformly.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Onion: I like to thinly slice the onion so it cooks quickly.
- Garlic cloves
- Red pepper flakes: Adds heat and spiciness to this dish. Obviously, you can leave it out if you don’t like spicy.
- Marinara sauce: My favorite Whole30-compatible brand is Rao’s Marinara. Whenever I spot it at Costco, I stock up.
- Capers: Add a tangy zing to the spicy marinara sauce. If you buy salt-brined capers, rinse and drain them before using.
- Fresh Italian parsley: Adds a pop of color and freshness to the dish before serving. You can also use minced fresh basil if you’ve got it!
How to make Whole30 spicy shrimp pasta
In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Grab the zucchini and use a spiralizer to crank out some zoodles. (I like my Inspiralized spiralizer but it’s no longer on the market. The Oxo spiralizer is my second favorite model.)
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil. Toss in the sliced onion and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Stir in the marinara sauce and capers and bring everything to a simmer.
As soon as the spicy tomato sauce is bubbling, add the seasoned shrimp to the sauce in a single layer. Don’t just lay the shrimp on top; make sure to tuck them into the sauce!
Cook for about 2 minutes and then flip the shrimp over. Continue simmering the shrimp in the sauce for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the shrimp is fully cooked. The shrimp are ready to eat when they’re opaque and bright orange or pink. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if needed.
Transfer the cooked shrimp to a clean platter.
Add the zucchini noodles (a.k.a. zoodles) to the sauce in the pan.
Toss and stir until the zucchini noodles are softened and warmed through.
Divide the sauced zucchini onto four plates.
Add the cooked shrimp to the zoodles and garnish with Italian parsley.
How’s that for an easy weeknight dinner?
More Whole30 noodle and pasta recipes
- Spicy Thai Chicken Zoodles
- Instant Pot Zucchini Bolognese
- Instant Pot Meat Sauce
- Instant Pot Chicken Pho
- Chicken Chow Mein
- Paleo Hiyashi Chuka (Cold Ramen Salad)
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Spicy Shrimp Pasta with Marinara Sauce (Whole30, Keto, Paleo)
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds large shrimp (21-25 count per pound) shelled and deveined
- ¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound zucchini ends trimmed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 tablespoon capers drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the shrimp with salt and pepper. Set aside
- Grab the zucchini and use a spiralizer to crank out some zoodles. (I like my Inspiralized spiralizer but it’s no longer on the market. The Oxo spiralizer is my second favorite model.)
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil. Toss in the sliced onion and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Stir in the marinara sauce and capers and bring everything to a simmer.
- As soon as the spicy tomato sauce is bubbling, add the seasoned shrimp to the sauce in a single layer. Don’t just lay the shrimp on top; make sure to tuck them into the sauce!
- Cook for about 2 minutes and then flip the shrimp over. Continue simmering the shrimp in the sauce for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the shrimp is fully cooked. The shrimp are ready to eat when they’re opaque and bright orange or pink. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if needed. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a clean platter.
- Add the zucchini noodles (a.k.a. zoodles) to the sauce in the pan. Toss and stir until the zucchini noodles are softened and warmed through.
- Divide the sauced zucchini onto four plates. Add the cooked shrimp to the zoodles and garnish with Italian parsley.
Lindsey says
This is delicious with the perfect amount of kick. Made it with Rao’s and **chef’s kiss**
Joan says
My husband is not a fan of zucchini so I made the sauce and poured it over instant pot spaghetti squash. Yum!