This light Shrimp and Zucchini Pasta dish, loaded with fresh tomatoes, is the best weeknight dinner when summer tomatoes are at their peak.
Shrimp and Zucchini Pasta
This Shrimp and Zucchini Pasta is perfect when you don’t want to spend much time cooking dinner but still want something seasonal and flavorful the family will love. By the time the pasta cooks, the shrimp and vegetables will be ready–all in about 20 minutes. I’ve been making this long before I made Skinnytaste a full time job. I used to whip this up after working full time with fresh zucchini and tomatoes from my garden.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is one of my oldest recipes, a summer dish I used to whip up when I would get home from work with very little time using zucchini and tomatoes from my garden. Cooking with seasonal produce means you don’t need a ton of ingredients. Fresh vegetables add so much flavor on their own.
- Fast: Since shrimp cook in just a couple of minutes, this meal comes together quickly!
- Easy enough for busy weeknights
- Healthy: A low-calorie pasta dish packed with lean protein and vegetables
- Family Friendly: A dish everyone in my house always enjoys
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make this pasta with shrimp and zucchini, you’ll also need fresh tomatoes, aromatics, and broth. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Shrimp: Buying frozen, deveined, and peeled shrimp with the tails off is the fastest, most convenient option. The easiest way to thaw them is to place them in the refrigerator the day before. Then, before cooking, drain and pat the shrimp dry with paper towels.
- Salt and black pepper for seasoning the shrimp and vegetables
- Pasta: Buy farfalle (bow tie) pasta.
- Aromatics: Thinly sliced garlic and diced shallots
- Zucchini: You can either julienne (slice into thin, long strips) or cube the zucchini. Since zucchini has a high-water content, it only takes a couple of minutes to cook to prevent it from getting soggy.
- Tomatoes: Fresh, diced tomatoes form the base of the sauce.
- Olive oil for sautéing the vegetables.
- Fat-free chicken broth enhances the flavor of the sauce more than water would.
- Toppings: Fresh parsley. Crushed red pepper flakes and grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan are optional, but they add extra flavor.
How to Make Shrimp and Zucchini Pasta
To cook this easy shrimp and zucchini pasta quickly, start boiling the water while you cut your vegetables. While the pasta cooks, sear the shrimp and make the sauce, which should be about done by the time the pasta finishes. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Cook the pasta following the package instructions. Then, drain.
- Sear the shrimp in a large, hot skillet for a minute. For the best sear, the shrimp shouldn’t be touching. Remove them before they’re fully cooked.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add the shallots and garlic to the pan over medium heat. After 1 minute, add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Then, add the zucchini and sauté for another minute.
- Make the tomato sauce: Pour in the broth and red pepper flakes. Then, add the shrimp and pasta. Taste for salt and pepper, and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
How do you know when shrimp is done cooking?
You’ll know the shrimp are ready when they’re pink, opaque, and shaped like a “C.” Overcooking can make them rubbery. They only need a few minutes to cook, so remove them from the pan after a minute so they can finish cooking in the sauce at the end.
Variations
- Allergic to shrimp? Substitute diced chicken thighs. Make sure to cook them all the way through the first time they’re in the pan. You could also use scallops. Sear them for 2 to 3 minutes, flip, and cook for another 30 to 60 seconds until they turn opaque.
- Pasta options: Swap farfalle with rotini, fusilli, or penne. Use whole-wheat or gluten-free pasta if needed.
- More Protein: Swap pasta with protein pasta and use bone broth for more protein.
- No shallots? Substitute onion.
- Tomatoes: Use cherry or grape tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes create a lighter sauce, but if they’re not in season, use canned petite diced tomatoes.
- Prefer a creamy tomato sauce? Try my Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce.
- Zucchini: Try yellow squash, asparagus, or spinach.
- Herbs: Replace parsley with fresh basil.
- Adjust the heat: I like it a little spicy, but if you’re not a fan of spicy food, omit the red pepper flakes or start with just 1/8 teaspoon.
- Make it brighter: Zest a lemon over the pasta before serving.
Storage
- Refrigerate the shrimp pasta for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: The pasta will absorb some of the tomato sauce, so if it’s too thick, add a splash of broth or water to thin it out before reheating. Microwave for 30 to 60 seconds until warm, or reheat on the stove over medium-low heat.
More Shrimp Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
For more dinner ideas using shrimp, check out these five delicious pasta recipes to inspire your next meal!
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- 1 lb shrimp, shelled and deviened (12 oz peeled weight)
- salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces bowtie pasta, uncooked (or protein pasta, gluten-free pasta)
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 medium zucchini, julienned or cubed
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- ½ cup chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- olive oil spray
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- Pecorino Romano cheese, grated, optional
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Cook pasta according to package instructions in salted water.
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While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat until very hot. Spray lightly with with oil.
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Season shrimp with salt and pepper to taste and add to the hot skillet. Saute for about 1 minute on each side, until almost cooked through and remove from heat. Set shrimp aside.
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Add olive oil to the same skillet, lower heat to medium, add shallots and garlic and saute until golden, about 1 minute.
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Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, and cook about 1 minute. Add zucchini, saute another minute.
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Add chicken broth, red pepper flakes and mix well. Return shrimp to the pan and simmer 30 seconds.
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When pasta is cooked to al dente, drain in a colander and add pasta to sauce. Mix well with the sauce and adjust salt and pepper.
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Add chopped parsley and serve. Top with some really good grated cheese! (optional)
Last Step:
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Serving: 1 ½ cups, Calories: 366.9 kcal, Carbohydrates: 51.6 g, Protein: 26.6 g, Fat: 6.8 g, Fiber: 3.8 g, Sugar: 2.1 g
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