15-Minute Zucchini Noodle Shrimp (Printable)

Tender shrimp and zucchini noodles in a bright lemon-garlic broth, ready in 15 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 9 oz large shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 medium zucchinis, spiralized into noodles
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Broth and Seasoning

06 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - Zest and juice of 1 lemon
09 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How-To:

01 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until pink and opaque. Remove shrimp from skillet and set aside.
02 - In the same skillet, add remaining olive oil and garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
03 - Add cherry tomatoes and cook for 1 minute until they begin to soften.
04 - Pour in the broth, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer.
05 - Add zucchini noodles and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring gently, until just tender.
06 - Return shrimp to the skillet, add red pepper flakes if using, and toss to combine. Heat through for 1 minute.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

# Expert Hacks:

01 -
  • It genuinely tastes like you spent an hour cooking when you've actually got dinner on the table in fifteen minutes.
  • The lemon-garlic broth is addictive and feels indulgent while keeping things light and clean.
  • Shrimp cooks so quickly that even if you're skeptical about seafood weeknight cooking, this will convert you.
02 -
  • Don't spiralize the zucchini until right before cooking, or it'll weep water and dilute your carefully balanced broth—this was a hard lesson learned at 6 PM on a weeknight.
  • The shrimp will keep cooking slightly after you remove it from direct heat, so pull it off the skillet a touch early to avoid that rubbery texture that kills the whole dish.
  • Taste the broth after you add the lemon juice because its acidity is what makes this feel bright and alive rather than flat and one-dimensional.
03 -
  • Pat your shrimp completely dry with paper towels before they hit the oil—moisture is the enemy of that beautiful sear that makes them taste restaurant-quality.
  • Keep your broth warm on a back burner before you add the zucchini so it stays at a steady simmer rather than cooling down and making the noodles soggy.
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