Lemon Ricotta Shrimp Zoodles

I love a creamy pasta dish as much as the next person, but if you’ve ever counted your macros, you know it’s hard to enjoy when you know what it costs you. Because who wants like a quarter cup of pasta? I’d rather have a massive bowl of spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles with all of the delicious flavors, and save some carbs for dessert. This Lemon Ricotta Shrimp Zoodle recipe hits the spot.

This is the perfect fresh, light meal for spring and summer. I like to use the juice and zest of two lemons to make it nice and lemony, but you do you!

The recipe calls for three pounds of zucchini for your zoodles. Sounds like a lot, but of course it’ll shrink down when cooked. I love zucchini noodles because you can get so much volume in your bowl for so few carbs! More is more. Ha.

Tip: I don’t recommend using frozen zucchini noodles. I’ve found they just don’t taste very good! But I don’t blame you if you’ve got some to get rid of like I did. If you decide to go with frozen zoodles, make sure they are completely thawed out before you add them to the dish. You want to make sure all that extra moisture is gone, so it doesn’t take away from the creamy ricotta sauce. 

If you are loving the idea of substituting with zucchini, check out my Skinny Turkey Zucchini Meatballs or my Quick and Light Thai Zoodle Salad. Zucchini is super versatile, easy to find, and inexpensive. 

The zucchini gives the dish volume while the shrimp adds almost nothing but protein, making this a total macro-winner of course.  And just wait until you see how easy it is to throw together. 

How to Make Your Lemon Ricotta Shrimp Zoodles

First, thaw your shrimp and remove tails. Season them with one teaspoon of salt and pepper. Heat your skillet with ½ tablespoon of olive oil (or 7 grams of olive oil spray) over high heat.

Once it’s heated, add your shrimp and cook for one minute undisturbed. Add your four cloves of minced garlic and flip the shrimp. Let this cook for about a minute and then toss the shrimp and garlic. Cook for another minute or so until the shrimp is pink and cooked all the way through. Remove it from the pan immediately and set aside. 

Turn your heat down to medium and add your white cooking wine, lemon zest, and lemon juice to your pan. Let this sizzle for about a minute and then add your ricotta. Mix this around to form your ricotta sauce. Turn off your heat.

Add two more cloves of minced garlic, one teaspoon of kosher salt, and red pepper flakes. Toss in your spiralized zucchini and let them get warm from the pan and sauce. If you like yours more cooked, keep the heat on and cook for a few more minutes. We like them with a little bite. Toss in your shrimp and add any optional parmesan, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

What You Need for Your Lemon Ricotta Shrimp Zoodles 

• 1 lb shrimp, raw and tails removed
• 2 tsp kosher salt 
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tbsp olive oil 
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (or frozen cubes)
• ¼ cup white cooking wine 
• 1-2 lemons zested and juiced (depending on how lemony you like it- I like two!)
• ½ cup part skim ricotta
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 lb zucchini, spiralized

You can fill your bowl to the rim and enjoy every bite of your shrimp scampi with no guilt! This is such a good option for a macro-friendly meal. It’s also one you can enjoy with the whole family because you can boil some pasta on the side for your kids if they prefer that instead of the zoodles. I hope you love your Lemon Ricotta Shrimp Zoodles!

Follow me on Instagram @lillieeatsandtells for more macro-friendly recipes and tips! 

Lemon Ricotta Shrimp Zoodles (or Shrimp Scampi with Zoodles)

Print Pin Rate

5 from 1 vote

Author Lillie

Course Bowl

Cuisine American, Seafood

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Calories 298 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 lb shrimp raw and tails removed (448 g)
• 2 tsp kosher salt divided
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tbsp olive oil 7 g
• 6 cloves garlic divided, minced (or frozen cubes)
• ¼ cup white cooking wine 60 g
• 1-2 lemons zested and juiced 60 g (depending on how lemony you like it- I like two!)
• ½ cup part skim ricotta
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 lb zucchini spiralized (1360 g)

Instructions

• Thaw your shrimp and remove tails. Season with ONE tsp salt and pepper.
• Heat a skillet with ½ tbsp olive oil (or spray with 7 g of olive oil spray) over high heat.  Add shrimp and cook for one minute without flipping or moving.  Add 4 cloves of minced garlic and flip the shrimp, cook for one more minute, then toss around with the garlic for another minute or so, just until they’re all pink and cooked through. Remove from pan immediately and set aside.
• Turn your pan down to medium and add cooking wine, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Let it sizzle for a minute, then add your ricotta and mix until a creamy sauce is formed. Turn off heat, add 2 more cloves of garlic, additional 1 tsp kosher salt, and red pepper flakes. Toss in your spiralized zucchini and let them get warm from the pan and sauce. If you like yours more cooked, keep the pan on and cook for a few more minutes.
• Toss in shrimp, add any optional parmesan and enjoy!

Notes

I highly recommend fresh zucchini spirals. If you use frozen zucchini noodles, make sure you thaw completely before adding to your sauce to avoid lots of water!

To log: Search My Fitness Pal for “Lillie Eats and Tells Lemon Ricotta Shrimp Zoodles”

Nutrition

Serving: 394gCalories: 298kcalCarbohydrates: 18.7gProtein: 37.7gFat: 5.7g

Keywords lemon ricotta shrimp zoodles, shrimp scampi, zuchinni

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