Low-carb Shrimp Pesto and Angel Hair Pasta
Happy New Year!
Seriously! Happy happy happy happy New Year!
My spidey senses tell me that 2013 is going to be an amazing year. Beyond amazing! 13 has always been a lucky number in my family, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what’s in store for this year. And I’m setting goals, guys! This week for me is going to be about setting goals for this year. BIG goals. As my acting guru tells me, what’s the point of setting goals if they aren’t HUGE?!
2013 will be huge. This year, I have put aside a job that brought me so much negativity and traded it in for something that I absolutely love to do, I have amazingly supportive friends and family, I have a new confidence that came along with tossing aside negativity, and very importantly: I have you guys! For real, having the support of my awesome readers (and now, viewers) has helped me grown in ways I can’t describe. I hope that the goals I’m setting really benefit all of you as well.
So, first thing’s first: January is going to be full of healthy food. I know how many people make some sort of health-related resolution or goal in the new year, especially if you’ve spent the month of December over-indulging on all of the wonderful comfort foods that Christmas has to offer. Like I did. And it was delicious, but it’s time to eat clean!
I hereby dedicate the month of January to healthy (but also completely delicious) recipes to please your palate and keep your body in tip top shape.
So we’re going to start the year off with a no-carb pasta (that’s right! NO carbs!) and a tasty low-carb, no cheese, vegan pesto. Now, I’ve already talked about Miracle Noodles, the no-carb, gluten-free, calorie-free noodles made of shiritaki mushrooms. They’re fantastic! They really help add bulk to the meal, but not to your body!
Miracle Noodles can be found at the grocery store, usually in the Asian or exotic foods section. If you are shopping at an Asian market, ask for Shiritaki Noodles.
In this pesto recipe, I’ve cut out any nuts to further reduce the carbs, and I’ve cut out the parmesan cheese. I supplemented with broccoli florets to add some texture. And of course, if you leave out the shrimp, this recipe will be vegan. But I love shrimp <3
Low-Carb Shrimp Pesto and Angel Hair Pasta
- 12 Medium Shrimp, Peeled and Deveined
- 1 Pouch (6 oz.) Miracle Noodles
Vegan Basil-Broccoli Pesto
- 2 1/2 Cups Fresh Basil Leaves
- 1 Cup Broccoli Florets
- 2 Fresh Garlic Cloves
- 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp. Lemon Juice
- 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to taste
Prepare the pesto recipe first:
In the bowl of your food processor, add all of the ingredients, except the olive oil, of the pesto and mix well. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Set the pesto aside to allow flavors to blend.
Drain and rinse the miracle noodles. Set aside.
In a skillet brushed with olive oil over medium-high heat, cook the shrimp, stirring and flipping occasionally. When the shrimp is just starting to turn pink, toss in the Miracle noodles. Stir frequently until shrimp is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.
Separate shrimp and noodles into two separate bowls and place the desired amount of pesto on top of each. Garnish with fresh ground pepper and a sprig of fresh basil. Serve immediately while hot.
If you have pesto left over, or you would like to make your pesto in advance, simply put it in a jar, cover it in a layer of olive oil (to keep from discoloring), put the lid on tightly and store it in the fridge for up to a week.
Dig in and enjoy it thoroughly. Your body has never looked so good 
- 12 Medium Shrimp, Peeled and Deveined
- 1 Pouch (6 oz.) Miracle Noodles
- 2½ Cups Fresh Basil Leaves
- 1 Cup Broccoli Florets
- 2 Fresh Garlic Cloves
- ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp. Lemon Juice
- ½ tsp. Sea Salt
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to taste
- In the bowl of your food processor, add all of the ingredients, except the olive oil, of the pesto and mix well. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Set the pesto aside to allow flavors to blend.
- Drain and rinse the miracle noodles. Set aside.
- In a skillet brushed with olive oil over medium-high heat, cook the shrimp, stirring and flipping occasionally. When the shrimp is just starting to turn pink, toss in the Miracle noodles. Stir frequently until shrimp is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Separate shrimp and noodles into two separate bowls and place the desired amount of pesto on top of each. Garnish with fresh ground pepper and a sprig of fresh basil. Serve immediately while hot.
- If you have pesto left over, or you would like to make your pesto in advance, simply put it in a jar, cover it in a layer of olive oil (to keep from discoloring), put the lid on tightly and store it in the fridge for up to a week.
I tried this recipe last night and it was great! I didn’t find miracle noodles, but i was inspired because I had a spaghetti squash that I really needed to use. This pesto goes great with spaghetti sauce. Thank you for another great recipe!
So vibrant green it just has to be delicious and healthy. I live here in Asia and have not seen these noodles maybe it is because I cannot read the Chinese characters…LOL will keep an eye out. May I ask what hosting company you are using? If you prefer, can you just send me a quick e-mail. thanks so much in advance. BAM
I use Bluehost for hosting my site.