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Zucchini noodles with shrimp meatballs in a black bowl being lifted by chopsticks with a black and white checkered napkin on the side.

Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp Meatballs

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Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp Meatballs topped with a spicy Thai pesto sauce is a delicious and healthy meal that will have you licking your plate! This recipe will be on repeat!

  • Total Time: 50 min
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 large zucchinis

For the pesto:

  • 1 cup fresh Thai (or regular) basil
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 cup fresh mint
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons green curry paste
  • Juice from 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil

For the shrimp meatballs:

  • 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • 3 Thai chili peppers, seeded and chopped
  • Juice of one lime
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 2 green onions, chopped (green parts only)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • Cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Cut off the ends of the zucchinis and make zucchini noodles in a vegetable spiralizer. Pat the zucchini noodles dry and set aside in a large bowl.

To make the pesto:

  1. In a food processor, pulse the basil, cilantro, mint, garlic, walnuts, fish sauce, green curry paste, and lime juice. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until smooth. Taste for seasoning.
  2. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium heat. Quickly toss the zucchini noodles into the oil, cooking briefly until al dente. Coat the zucchini with several tablespoons of the pesto sauce (to your liking), remove from wok or pan as soon as zucchini is fully coated. Place the noodles in a bowl topped with several of the shrimp balls and serve immediately.

To make the shrimp meatballs:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place shrimp in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
  2. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium heat and sauté garlic, shallots, and peppers until translucent, about 3 minutes. Transfer veggies to a bowl to cool.
  3. Meanwhile, add to the shrimp the egg whites, bread crumbs, green onion, cilantro, salt, chili peppers, and lime juice. When veggies have cooled, add to the mixture and combine all ingredients well.
  4. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Working in batches, form 1-inch balls with the shrimp mixture and place in rows on the baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Spray tops of the shrimp balls with cooking spray before putting in the oven. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Set oven to broil and brown the tops of the shrimp balls, about 2 minutes.

To assemble: Toss the zucchini noodles with the Thai pesto to thoroughly coat. Place the noodles on a plate and top with the shrimp meatballs. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro if desired. Serve while warm.

  • Author: Asian Caucasian
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: Asian Fusion
  • Diet: Low Fat

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 517
  • Sugar: 8.6 g
  • Sodium: 939.5 mg
  • Fat: 28.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 26.8 g
  • Protein: 43.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 273.7 mg