Pasta primavera is a glorious culinary celebration of the young, tender vegetables that usher in the awakening of fresh vegetal varieties at gardens, farmer’s market stands and grocery shelves. Traditionally, pasta serves as the base of this seasonal dish, tossed with just-cooked springtime veggies like asparagus, zucchini, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, yellow squash, peas and broccoli, and a lemony and herb-studded sauce thickened with olive oil and parmesan cheese.

We lightened the traditional dish substantially—instead of cheese, we whipped up an herby cashew sauce; instead of pasta, we used zoodles; instead of a huge mix of different veggies, we opted to let the zucchini be the focal point. We added fresh shrimp sauteed with lemon zest to our dairy-free remake, but if you want to keep the dish vegan, you can sub roasted broccoli or toasted walnuts or almonds.

Dairy-Free, Whole30 Zoodle Primavera with Shrimp

Time: 2 hours, 12 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup Primal Kitchen Italian Dressing
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil
• 1 package (about 12 oz.) Zucchini Veggiccine or other thick-cut spiralized zucchini
• ½ pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

• Place cashews in a large bowl.
• Pour over enough water to cover the cashews completely.
• Soak for about 2 hours.

• Drain and rinse cashews thoroughly.
• Place soaked cashews, Primal Kitchen Italian Dressing, and nutritional yeast into a Vitamix or other high-speed blender (you can even use a food processor).

• Blend until smooth.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 teaspoon Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil.
• Add zoodles to skillet and cook, tossing with tongs frequently, for 3–5 minutes.

• Remove zoodles from skillet and place in a large bowl.
• Drain any excess liquid in the skillet.
• Place skillet back on heat and add 1 tablespoon Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil to pan.
• Add shrimp to skillet and cook for about 2 minutes on the first side.
• Turn shrimp over and cook for another 2–3 minutes on the other side, or until the shrimp is pink.
• Season shrimp with salt and pepper and lemon zest, stir, then remove from heat.
• Add the cashew sauce to the bowl with the zoodles.
• Using tongs, mix the sauce and the zoodles well. Add shrimp and chopped parsley.

Nutritional Info (per serving; 4 servings total):

Calories: 518

Carbs: 15 grams

Net Carbs: 12.5 grams

Fat: 41 grams

Protein: 22 grams

Nutritional information calculated using Cronometer.

You might also like these other lower-carb “pasta” recipes:

• Low-Carb Asian Noodle Bowl 
• Beet Noodle Macro Bowl 
• Chicken Zoodle Pho 
• Beef Stroganoff