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Shrimp zucchini pasta is a delicious one-dish summer meal you can make for family and friends. In this recipe, I use Trombette zucchini from Albenga. They have a nutty flavour which combines well with shrimp. You can use any other type of zucchini, the combination is great.
Jump to:
- What are zucchini Trombetta d’Albenga
- What shrimp to use
- How to prepare the shrimp sauce
- Cooking the zucchini
- How to clean and devein the shrimp
- Putting the sauce together
- Boil the pasta
- Tips for making the best zucchini shrimp pasta
- What to serve with zucchini shrimp pasta
- 20 rules to properly cook pasta
- Recipes you might also like
- 📋Shrimp Zucchini Pasta
What are zucchini Trombetta d’Albenga
Originally imported from Central North America , the Zucchini Trombetta Albenga (a Ligurian town) has become a Ligurian delicacy which you find in French and Italian Riviera markets during the summer period.
Long and thin, all their seeds are at the end. Consequently, they are less watery, and much more consistent and crunchy. This year I planted them in my vegetable patch.
If you want to know more about them and check out more recipe suggestions, you can read my article: The Amazing Zucchini Trombetta Albenga.
For this recipe, you can also use regular zucchini, but I always like to buy smaller ones as the bigger ones are usually full of seeds.
What shrimp to use
For this recipe, I like to use fresh whole shrimp. The head and the shell of the shrimp release a very tasty juice when cooked which gets absorbed by the zucchini. This is why I prefer to use uncleaned shrimp in this recipe.
If I have a chance to go to Ventimiglia I buy my shrimp fresh from the fishmonger, the Sanremo Shrimp. Otherwise, if I don’t find fresh uncooked shrimp, I buy good quality frozen shrimp.
How to prepare the shrimp sauce
- Rinse the shrimp under running water
- In a frying pan fry the 3 garlic cloves with the extra virgin olive oil
- Add the shrimp and turn them until they turn pink
- Add salt and pepper to season
- Remove the shrimp from the pan and make sure there are no remaining legs or antennae
Cooking the zucchini
- In the same frying pan with the juices from the shrimp, add red onion and a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil if needed and stir fry the onion
- Once the onion is translucent, add the zucchini cut into small chunks
- Stir fry them until they look nice and golden
- Add salt and pepper to season
How to clean and devein the shrimp
- Once the shrimp are cold, remove the shells and the heads
- To devein the shrimp use a pointed knife or the special tool you see in the picture
- Open the back of the shrimp tail
- Pull out the vein or any other black spots
- Leave the vein in a paper towel, best not use water to clean the shrimp
- Make sure they are all clean
Putting the sauce together
- Add the shrimp to the zucchini, stir and cover but do not cook as the shrimps shouldn’t cook any longer
Boil the pasta
- Bring to boil a pot of salted water
- Boil the spaghetti, 1 minute less than what written on the package
- Strain the spaghetti and add to the zucchini and shrimps
- Stir at low heat to warm up the sauce
Tips for making the best zucchini shrimp pasta
- I used the zucchini Trombetta di Albenga but you can use regular zucchini. Just make sure they are thin and do not contain too many seeds.
- Use fresh shrimp or prawns if you can and if you are following this recipe make sure you use whole shrimp with the head and shell on.
- If your shrimp are already cleaned, add them at the end. The reason I add them at the beginning and then remove them is to get the juices from the shells and heads. If they are already cleaned there is no purpose in cooking them earlier.
- Don’t overcook the shrimp, once they are pink remove them from the stove
- For best results use good quality pasta. I always recommend Garofalo or Rummo
What to serve with zucchini shrimp pasta
This dish is a complete meal and it is perfect for a summer lunch. If you are looking for a special meal with family and friends I would suggest to serve some summer appetizers like fried zucchini flowers or eggplant balls.
For dessert, I always like to combine seafood with fruit or a citrus dessert, so I would recommend: Homemade lime sorbet with vodka, Peach Tarte Tatin or a Pear Crumble.
20 rules to properly cook pasta
If you are a novice cook, here are some important points you need to know to properly cook pasta:
- Pasta should be boiled in salted water, adding salt after doesn’t work
- Add the salt as soon as you put the pan with water on the heat, so you don’t forget
- If you don’t remember if you added salt to the water, taste the water
- Use 1 tbsp of salt per 4 quarts – 4 liters of water which should be enough for 1lb – 500 gr of pasta
- Make sure the pot is large enough so the water doesn’t overflow once you put in the pasta
- If you put the lid on the pan, the water will get to the boiling point faster
- Do not add oil to the water
- The water should be boiling hot before you put the pasta in
- Use a good pasta brand. My favorites are (in this order): Rummo, Garofalo, De Cecco. Barilla is my least favorite one but better than any other unknown brands
- When you add the pasta, the water may stop boiling as the pasta lowers the water temperature. Put the lid on the pan until the water starts boiling again
- Once the water boils remove the lid otherwise the foam will overflow from the pan
- Stir the pasta from time to time
- Keep the heat high so the water boils all the time
- Always cook the pasta 1 minute less than what is written on the pasta box
- Taste the pasta and drain immediately when “Al Dente” meaning still firm and chunky
- Never leave the pasta floating in the water once it is cooked!!!!!
- As soon as the pasta is drained, season immediately and stir.
- If for whatever reason the seasoning is not ready, season the pasta with some extra virgin olive oil and stir
- Once the pasta is ready and seasoned, it has to be served and eaten immediately
- No parmesan in pasta with seafood, you can sprinkle toasted grated breadcrumbs or almonds
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Recipes you might also like
If you are looking for more Italian Seafood recipes, you can check the category: Seafood
Also check the recipes below:
- Shrimp tomato pasta
- Linguine With Clams
- Pasta With Black Ink Cuttlefish Recipe
- Fish Pie with a Mediterranean Twist
- Healthy Cod Recipe
- Homemade Paella Seafood And Sausage
- Swordfish Wheel
- Baked Swordfish and Braciolette
- Whole Sea Bream Recipe Cooked in Salt
- Stuffed Calamari Recipe
- Fried calamari
- Octopus salad
If you are making this Zucchini Shrimp Pasta with Red Onion, leave your comments below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.
📋Shrimp Zucchini Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves peeled garlic cloves
- 1 red onion
- 14 oz fresh shrimp
- 4 zucchini
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 1 tbsp sea coarser salt for the pasta
- salt & pepper
Looking for kitchen gadget Christmas gifts?Instructions
Prepare the shrimp
- Rinse the shrimp under running water
- In a frying pan fry the 3 garlic cloves with the extra virgin olive oil
- Add the shrimp and turn them until they turn pink
- Add salt and pepper to season
- Remove the shrimp from the pan and make sure there are no remaining legs or antennas
- Once the shrimp are cold, remove the shells and the heads
- Devein the shrimp and put them aside
Prepare the zucchini
- In the same frying pan with the juices from the shrimp, add red onion and a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil if needed and stir fry the onion
- Once the onion is translucent, add the zucchini cut into small chunks
- Stir fry them until they look nice and golden
- Add salt and pepper to season
- Turn off the heat, add the shrimp to the zucchini and cover. The shrimps should not cook any longer.
Prepare the pasta
- Bring to boil a pot of salted water
- Boil the spaghetti, 1 minute less than what written on the package
- Strain the spaghetti and add to the zucchini and shrimps
- Stir in the pan at low heat just to bring the zucchini and the shrimp at a warm temperature
- Serve immediately
Video
Notes
- I used the zucchini Trombetta di Albenga but you can use regular zucchini. Just make sure they are thin and do not contain too many seeds.
- Use fresh shrimp or prawns if you can and if you are following this recipe make sure you use shrimp with head and shell.
- If your shrimp are already cleaned, add them directly at the end. The reason I add them at the beginning and then remove them is to get the juices from the shells and heads. If they are already cleaned there is no purpose on cooking them earlier.
- Shrimp should never be overcooked
- Don’t overcook the shrimp, once they are pink remove them from the stove
- For best results use good quality pasta. I always recommend Garofalo or Rummo
Brian Jones
Such a great recipe, simple to make, quick to cook and packed full of great flavours… A perfect quick dinner.
Laura
yes, it is, thank you
Susan
Those shrimp! How beautiful! What a tasty dish!
Laura
Thank you, yes very tasty
Julie
You can’t go wrong with shrimp and zucchini! It’s the best of summer in a bowl. Love this recipe and need to make it soon.
Laura
very true, no you cannot
Immaculate
Looks so tasty! Shrimp and Zucchini is such a great combo
Laura
thank you
Beth Neels
This is a delicious pasta dish! We love shrimp with pasta, but haven’t tried it with the zucchini. I have a ton of zucchini in the garden now, so I’m always aon the lookout for recipes to use them! I pick my very small, before the seeds develop and they were delicious in this pasta dish! Thanks for the inspiration!
Laura
you are welcome, I am trying to have more zucchini in my garden but mould is taking over so I sprayed copper sulfate. Fingers crossed
Anjie McFarlane
Love the sound of this recipe, makes my mouth water. I will buy San Remo Shrimps this week to try it out
Laura
Good choice, it is a very nice recipe. Hope you will find the zucchini trombetta as well. They make it perfect