Jammy Zucchini Pasta with Shrimp Balls

This super healthy, summery Zucchini Pasta with Shrimp Balls is the perfect recipe to make before the summer ends. Made with angel hair pasta, and protein-packed shrimp balls, this recipe can be whipped up in just 40-minutes and is great for a dinner party or a weeknight meal.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Pasta with Shrimp Balls

• Quick: Make this Pasta with Shrimp Balls in only 40-minutes
• Healthy: The shrimp meatballs are protein-packed and you can feel good about the ingredients that make this recipe
• Versatile: Any pasta dish can be made your own by changing up the veggies, herbs, or noodles

🍲 Ingredients

Shrimp – Shrimp is low in calories and high in protein. It also is loaded with vitamins and minerals such as selenium and phosphorus which are needed in your daily diet.

Angel Hair Pasta – Also sometimes known as Capellini, Angel Hair Pasta is a thin noodle with a diameter of only 0.85 to 0.92 mm. It can used in a variety of pasta dishes but it’s important to ensure you don’t overcook it given how thin it is.

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Zucchini – Zucchini is an inexpensive and healthy veggie to throw into so many dishes. It’s rich in nutrients, antioxidants, and is good for digestion, heart health, vision, and so much more.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Zucchini Pasta with Shrimp Balls

1. Make the shrimp meatballs:  To a food processor add the onion and garlic and pulse to chop into small pieces. Add the defrosted shrimp, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, lemon zest, feta cheese and egg. Pulse to chop / combine everything, making sure not to over-mix into a paste. Pour mixture into a bowl or scoop directly out of the food processor, about 1-2 tbsp at a time and form into shrimp meatballs **wet your hands to help while rolling the shrimp meatballs.** Put on a plate and set aside.
2. Cook the angel hair pasta according to package directions and reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain and set the pasta aside.
3. To a large frying pan add 3-4 tbsp olive oil, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Turn to medium heat and when warm, add the sliced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Remove the sliced garlic from the pan to a medium bowl and then add the shrimp meatballs.
4. Cook the shrimp meatballs, about 6-10 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through. Remove the shrimp meatballs from the pan and add to the bowl with the sliced garlic.
5. Keep the pan on medium heat and add the diced shallots, diced zucchini, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp chili flakes and saute until zucchini is softened and starting to brown.
6. Add the cooked pasta, juice of a lemon, zest of a lemon, shredded parmesan cheese and ¼-½ cup pasta water. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened and coated the noodles.  Add more pasta water if desired / needed.
7. Add the shrimp meatballs and sliced garlic back to the pan and stir once more. Serve garnished with fresh basil.

🪄 Tips and Tricks

• Wet your hands to help while rolling the shrimp meatballs so the mixture doesn’t stick to your hands
• If you love these shrimp meatballs, try our Shrimp Linguine or Easy Shrimp Cakes
• Prep the meatballs ahead of time and cook them when you’re ready to make the pasta dish

🗒 Substitutions

• Angel Hair Pasta: If you can’t find angel hair pasta you can swap it for any of your favorite noodles such as spaghetti
• Gluten Free: Make this dish gluten free by substituting the pasta for gluten free noodles, and the breadcrumbs in the shrimp balls with gluten free breadcrumbs
• Zucchini: If you don’t like zucchini you can use yellow squash, roasted tomatoes, or your fav veggie

🗒 Best served with

• Italian Chopped Salad
• Roasted Beet Salad
• Brussel Sprout Caesar Salad

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat leftovers and enjoy!

🤔 Common Questions

Jammy Zucchini Pasta with Shrimp Balls

5 from 1 vote

This yummy Zucchini Pasta with Shrimp Balls is a fresh, delicious pasta dish to serve this summer for an easy meal for your family, or a dinner party.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine American-Inspired

Servings 4

Calories 696 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the shrimp meatballs

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 450 g defrosted raw shrimp peeled and deveined
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 egg

For the pasta

• 250-300 g angel hair pasta
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• juice of one lemon
• zest of one lemon
• 1 cup reserved pasta water
• 1 large (or 2 small) shallots, diced small
• 1 zucchini, diced small
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• fresh basil for garnish

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Instructions

 

• Make the shrimp meatballs:  To a food processor add the onion and garlic and pulse to chop into small pieces. Add the defrosted shrimp, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, lemon zest, feta cheese and egg. Pulse to chop / combine everything, making sure not to over-mix into a paste. Pour mixture into a bowl or scoop directly out of the food processor, about 1-2 tbsp at a time and form into shrimp meatballs **wet your hands to help while rolling the shrimp meatballs.** Put on a plate and set aside.
• Cook the angel hair pasta according to package directions and reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain and set the pasta aside.
• To a large frying pan add 3-4 tbsp olive oil, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Turn to medium heat and when warm, add the sliced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Remove the sliced garlic from the pan to a medium bowl and then add the shrimp meatballs.
• Cook the shrimp meatballs, about 6-10 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through. Remove the shrimp meatballs from the pan and add to the bowl with the sliced garlic.
• Keep the pan on medium heat and add the diced shallots, diced zucchini, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp chili flakes and saute until zucchini is softened and starting to brown.
• Add the cooked pasta, juice of a lemon, zest of a lemon, shredded parmesan cheese and ¼-½ cup pasta water. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened and coated the noodles.  Add more pasta water if desired / needed.
• Add the shrimp meatballs and sliced garlic back to the pan and stir once more. Serve garnished with fresh basil.

Video

Notes

• If you can’t find angel hair pasta, use spaghetti or linguine.
• If you love these shrimp meatballs, try our Shrimp Linguine or Easy Shrimp Cakes

Nutrition

Calories: 696kcal | Carbohydrates: 71.2g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 26.4g | Saturated Fat: 10.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11.4g | Cholesterol: 271.8mg | Sodium: 2311.6mg | Fiber: 3.8g | Sugar: 8.5g

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