Here’s a simple and delicious recipe that makes for an easy middle-of-the-week meal. Whenever I get cravings for pasta, I look to my nifty spiral slicer to make noodles out of healthy veggies. The result? Guilt-free and gluten-free pasta that’s even easier to prepare than boiling traditional noodles. Most people think of traditional pesto made from basil, pine nuts and parmigiano cheese, but we’re going for paleo-friendly here, so this is a version of pesto made with cilantro, garlic and macadamia nuts. And who doesn’t like shrimp in fettucine? I started with a recipe from Diane Sanfilippo, and then modified it more to my liking. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 C. macadamia nuts
1 bunch cilantro, rinsed
1 handful of fresh basil
3 cloves garlic (more if you love garlic)
1/2 C. plus 1 TBS. extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and fresh-cracked pepper to taste
18 large shrimp
3 medium sized squash (I’m using 2 zucchinis and a yellow squash)
1 red bell pepper

Directions:

Let’s prepare the pesto first: In a food processor, add the cilantro, basil, garlic and macadamia nuts.

Drizzle in 1/4 C. of olive oil and blend.

Taste it. Season with salt and pepper, and add the remaining olive oil to taste. Process again to desired consistency.

Scoop the pesto into a bowl and set aside.

Now let’s make the noodles. Have you ever used a spiral slicer? They’re wonderful:

I purchased a Paderno slicer, and highly recommend it. It’s easy to set up, use, and clean. This one is about $35, and  you can get it here.
Now load a squash into the slicer, and turn to create your noodles.

You should end up with a nice pile of “pasta.” Transfer your pasta to a large, microwave-safe bowl, and nuke it for 3 to 4 minutes.

Wash and pat dry your shrimp, and slice your pepper into thin slices.

In a large pan, heat 1 TBS olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add the red pepper, and cook for about 3 minutes to slightly soften and brown.

Now add in the shrimp, and toss.

Cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes until shrimp starts to turn pink.

Add the peppers and shrimp to the bowl with your cooked noodles.

Pour in the pesto sauce and mix to combine.

Serve your shrimp pesto fettucine while hot, and garnish with a basil leave or some extra macadamia nuts. Bon appetít!