Pesto zucchini noodles, or zoodles, tossed with juicy sautéed shrimp are an easy, delicious low-carb dinner! Make this recipe in a single skillet with store-bought or homemade basil pesto and tender spiralized zucchini.
Swap the shrimp for your favorite ingredients! I love this pesto zucchini noodles recipe tossed with creamy Chicken Lazone, zesty Italian mushrooms, or more veggies for a light, flavor-packed meal.
Springtime Fridays are made for the coldest glass of chardonnay and easy dinners, like these tender, flavor-loaded pesto zucchini noodles. I passed a recent haul of zucchini through the spiralizer the other night, then cooked some juicy shrimp and sautéed everything together with fresh basil pesto. It was delicious and so refreshing. Even my husband, who makes spaghetti at least once a week, gobbled up these pesto zoodles and went back for seconds.
What Makes This Pesto Zoodles Recipe So Great?
- Fresh flavors. I’ve made this recipe with homemade pesto and store-bought pesto (when time is of the essence) and it’s delicious both ways. The bright, zesty, basil and parmesan flavors do wonders for spiralized veggies!
- Filling protein. I toss my pesto zucchini noodles with juicy sautéed jumbo shrimp, but you can use any protein you prefer. Different seafood, chicken, steak bites… just about anything goes. You can even make a vegetarian version with extra vegetables or mushrooms.
- One pan. Cook the protein and zucchini noodles in the same pan, and add the pesto right at the end. It’s a fast and easy, one-skillet dinner that’s ready in 20 minutes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
With zucchini season approaching, I’m already dreaming of all the fritters and salads on the horizon. Spiralizing these summer veggies is just one more way to enjoy them! I’ve included some quick recipe notes here, and you’ll find the printable recipe card and step-by-step directions at the bottom of the post.
- Olive Oil – Or avocado oil, for sautéeing.
- Shrimp – I use pre-cooked jumbo shrimp. You can use fresh or frozen shrimp, making sure to peel and devein them as needed. Thaw frozen shrimp completely beforehand.
- Garlic – Freshly minced cloves, or you can substitute ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
- Zucchini – I usually budget 1 whole zucchini per person whenever I make this recipe. Choose fresh, ripe zucchini that’s firm and dark green. There are a few ways that you can turn zucchini into zoodles (see below).
- Pesto – Feel free to use your favorite jarred or homemade basil pesto. I also have recipes for parsley pesto and spinach pesto that also go great with zucchini noodles.
- Parmesan – Finish your pesto zoodles with freshly grated parmesan, pecorino, or any cheese you’d like. Goat cheese or feta would also taste delicious.
How to Make Zucchini Noodles
There’s more than one way to zoodle – I love my countertop spiralizer, but these are other tools that you can use to make zucchini noodles at home:
- Spiralizer. I use my spiralizer to make curly zoodles that look similar to spaghetti. You can use a countertop spiralizer, or a KitchenAid spiralizer attachment.
- Julienne. Use a handheld julienne peeler to make thinner “angel hair” zucchini noodles. These will need hardly any cooking time.
- Mandoline. Use a mandoline to slice the zucchini into planks, and then slice the planks into long strips, similar to fettuccine.
- Vegetable peeler. Use a standard veggie peeler to make long and wide, pappardelle-style zucchini ribbons.
What Else Can I Add to Zoodles?
I’m always changing up this zucchini noodles recipe with seasonal ingredients. I’ll add grilled shrimp in the summer, or swap shrimp for another protein altogether. These are some ideas to try year-round:
- Seafood. Instead of shrimp, make this recipe with seared scallops, or nestle a salmon filet over top before serving.
- Chicken. Try slicing up chicken breast or parmesan crusted chicken. Or, toss these zoodles with crispy chicken spiedini.
- Veggies. Add even more vegetables like pan-fried oyster mushrooms, burst cherry tomatoes, roasted asparagus, and steamed broccoli.
- Beef. Top a bed of pesto zoodles with sliced New York strip steak or grilled steak.
- Nuts and seeds. Pine nuts, crushed pecans, walnuts, slivered almonds, and pepitas (or pumpkin seeds) are tasty ways to add crunch to these zucchini noodles with pesto.
- Spicy. Add crushed red pepper flakes or chopped fresh chilies, like poblanos or jalapeños.
- Creamy. Add a splash of heavy cream, half-and-half, or stir in a spoonful of cream cheese for creamy pesto zucchini noodles.
Serving Suggestions
These one-pan pesto zucchini noodles with shrimp are a meal-in-one, so if I have something on the side, it’s usually some charred vine tomatoes, fresh heirloom tomato salad, or Mediterranean salad, and maybe some soft garlic breadsticks for the table. Since we’re loading up on delicious veggies for dinner, it’s only fair to follow it up with a thick slice of pumpkin spice cake for dessert. Raise your glass(es) of chardonnay and enjoy!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Zucchini noodles are best served fresh. Cooked zucchini tends to become a bit soggy once it’s stored in the sauce. That being said, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two. Zucchini isn’t a great candidate for freezing.
- Reheat. Warm the zoodles gently in a skillet or the microwave. They’ll become softer as they reheat.
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Cook the shrimp. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, and add them to the skillet. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until pink and cooked through. Remove from the skillet and set aside in a bowl.
Sauté. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet, then add garlic and cook for 15 seconds, or until fragrant.
Cook the zucchini noodles. Add the spiralized zucchini to the skillet and continue to cook for 7 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.
Put it all together. Add the shrimp back to skillet, stir in the pesto, and cook just until everything is heated through, about 1 minute.
Serve. Transfer the zoodles to a serving bowl, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and serve!
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 306mg | Potassium: 511mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1040IU | Vitamin C: 35.6mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 0.9mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Pesto Zucchini Noodles (With Shrimp)
My #1 advice when cooking zucchini noodles is: Don’t overcook. Zoodles need only a quick flash in the pan to heat through and become al dente. In this recipe, the warm pesto is enough to soften them. Follow the steps below:
- Sauté the shrimp. First, season the shrimp with salt and pepper, then sauté them in a large skillet with oil for 2-3 minutes. Set the shrimp aside for now.
- Cook the zoodles. Next, add garlic to the pan, and once that’s fragrant, add the zucchini noodles. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the zucchini is tender.
- Put it all together. Add the shrimp back to the skillet, stir in the pesto, and let everything heat through before serving. Sprinkle over fresh parmesan, and dig in.
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