Pasta with Shrimp, Zucchini, Lemon and Herbs | Everyday Dorie

This is another play-around recipe from Everyday Dorie. Pasta and shrimp are the backbone for this dish. Vegetables can be anything from zucchini, spinach, kale to eggplant. Lemon and herbs add citrus flavor and freshness. Even with all these ingredients, dinner can be tossed together in about half an hour. Perfect for a weekday meal.

For the sauce, where is the sauce? No red nor white sauce. Dorie uses lemon juice and zest to flavor the pasta which becomes the sauce. The result is somewhat surprising. In the New Year, we resolve to increase the health and flavor quotient of the family meal. This dish does that. We can taste every ingredient in each bite. We don’t feel weighed down by a heavy sauce and therefore reduces the unnecessary calories.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of generously salted water until al dente. To boost the lemony flavor, toss in the leftover lemon halves after zesting and squeezing the juice out of them.

Over medium-high heat, sauté the shrimps in olive oil until they pick up some color. Set them aside. Add another 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same pan. Toss in the zucchini and cook until they are golden. Finally, stir in the pasta under heat with the shrimps, zucchini, lemon juice and pasta water, if necessary.

For garnish, top the pasta with fresh tomatoes and plenty of herbs. Well done, Dorie!