I’ve tried making zucchini ribbons with a simple vegetable peeler, a mandolin, and a spiralizer. I personally like using a vegetable peeler or mandolin the best. Making these wide pappardelle-like noodles wastes less of the vegetable than curly, spiralized zoodles. Also their texture is just so lovely. Most mandolins will produce a slightly thicker noodle than the peeler. You might need to cook the noodles a minute or so longer if your noodles seem fairly thick. The lemon-garlic butter is extra delicious because I brown the butter a little bit first and then steep the minced garlic in the butter while everything else cooks. The lemon juice goes in a the very last moment. This way, there’s no risk of burning the garlic and the lemon juice tastes fresh. This recipe works well as a light mid-week dinner, especially when you’re in the mood for vegetables with a little protein, or as a side dish at a dinner party or potluck. Lay the noodles out on paper towels in a single layer and sprinkle them with salt. Leave them to “sweat” for about 10 minutes. Once this happens, immediately pour butter into a heat-proof bowl, jar, or cup. Use a spatula to scrape all of the browned bits into the bowl. Add the minced garlic to butter and set aside. Working in batches, cook the shrimp for about 2 minutes on each side. They should be pink and opaque, but not curled up too tightly. Transfer to a plate. Toss the zucchini gently in the pan so that it just begins to lose its stiffness. You want it to be al dente, just like pasta. The whole process shouldn’t take more than 3 minutes. Remove the pan from heat. Toss to combine. Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates. Top with fresh parsley and serve.
