This Shrimp and Caramelized Shallot Pasta is perfect if you're looking for an easy seafood pasta that's low in carbs but high in flavor. This bright red low carb pasta takes just a few simple ingredients to make a delicious meal.
We start with a rich and spicy tomato sauce with plenty of shallots, thinly sliced garlic, lemon, and Calabrian chili oil. Adding juicy jumbo shrimp, parsley, parmesan cheese and a few other ingredients was a no-brainer for a high protein dish. The flavors are satisfying and incredibly simple. We serve our shrimp and caramelized shallot pasta with shirataki noodles to keep this dish low carb and gluten free.
Ingredients:
The Main Components:
- Shallots, thinly sliced - The shallots are obviously a huge part of the flavor here! All we need to do is slice them really thinly. No need to dice them, since we will caramelize the shallots for a while in olive oil.
- Garlic cloves, thinly sliced - We also use a lot of garlic cloves in this dish. The garlic gets cooked alongside the shallots in olive oil, until they turn a nice golden color (but not burnt!)
- Olive oil - The essential ingredient. You could use butter or avocado oil if you really prefer. Olive oil complements the flavors in this dish wonderfully.
- Salt and pepper - Use to taste, of course. We prefer using kosher salt and course ground black pepper, or fresh ground black pepper.
- Jumbo shrimp - Our main protein source! We prefer using jumbo shrimp, but use whatever size you prefer. Just make sure they are raw, and thawed!
- Tomato paste - This is the main base of flavor in this sauce, and it pairs very well with all of the flavors.
The Rest:
- Crushed Calabrian chili pepper paste - We are absolutely obsessed with this stuff! Calabrian chili peppers are quite hot, and very flavorful. This bold Italian condiment is not as well known as it should be, and it's delicious! You could use red pepper flakes in its place, starting with about 1 teaspoon and adding more to taste.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest - Lately, we love adding fresh lemon juice and zest to just about everything. The addition of these ingredients adds a subtle acidity, brightness and sweetness, and it really ties this dish together.
- Chicken broth - We use chicken broth to thin the sauce. You could use chicken stock, water or even white wine for even more flavor. If you use white wine instead, make sure to cook it until it reduces a bit to cook off the alcohol.
- Parsley - Technically optional, but we love the freshness that parsley adds.
- Shirataki noodles - You can obviously use your favorite low carb pasta of choice for this caramelized shallot pasta. We love using shirataki noodles because they are low in carbs and calories. Another great option would be this Great Low Carb Company fettuccine.
- Parmesan cheese - This ties everything together, if you ask us! You can leave it out if you prefer, but in our minds, parmesan makes everything better!
How to Make This Low Carb Shrimp and Caramelized Shallot Pasta:
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and then the shallots and garlic to cook in the oil. Season generously with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally until the shallots are golden brown and caramelized. This will take 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add in your Calabrian chili paste, lemon juice and lemon zest, and cook stirring constantly. Add the tomato paste and season with more salt and pepper, scorching until the tomato paste has started to turn from a red to a deeper red color, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken broth and parsley, then add in the shrimp, once again stirring constantly to prevent the shrimp from cooking unevenly. The shrimp will have started to cook as soon as they hit the hot liquid, and when they are pink, they are cooked completely. This should only take 3-5 minutes.
- Cook pasta of choice according to the package, then add low carb pasta to the skillet along with your parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Garnish with more cheese, parsley, slices of lemon, olive oil, fresh cracked black pepper, and Calabrian chili paste if desired.That's it you guys, that's all it takes to make this low carb shrimp and caramelized shallot pasta!
What Can I Use In Place of Shallots For This Shrimp and Caramelized Shallot Pasta?
Sweet onions would be your next best option, if you don't have shallots on hand. We do highly recommend shallots though, since the flavor is so prominent in this dish.
If you don't have either of those options, yellow or red onions will be the next best thing. White onions should be your last resort, since they have a very sharp and pungent flavor. If you choose to use white onions, use a little less!
Where to Buy Groceries For This Dish?
If you have a Costco membership, we highly recommend shopping for ingredients there! You can find great deals on Parmesan cheese, chicken broth, tomato paste, olive oil, shrimp, and low carb Healthy Noodles there. Making this low carb shrimp and caramelized shallot pasta has never been more affordable. Check out our massive Low Carb and Keto Costco List here!
Additional Protein Sources To Try Instead:
If you don't have shrimp for this shrimp and caramelized shallot pasta, you could use chicken instead! We think shrimp is perfect for this dish, but chicken would obviously be delicious too.
More Recipes To Try:
- Keto Maple BBQ Glazed Shrimp
- Cajun Shrimp Sausage and Peppers Skillet
- Green Beans with Garlic and Lemon
- Chipotle Lime Shrimp
- Roasted Cauliflower and Asparagus with Parmesan Cheese
Shop This Recipe!
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Until Next Time,
Briana & Chamere
📖 Recipe
Shrimp and Caramelized Shallot Pasta (Low Carb)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 5 large shallots, thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1.5 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon Calabrian chili pepper paste, or to taste (could sub for 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes)
- 1 whole lemon, juice and zest
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup parsley, fresh chopped (optional)
- 1 lb jumbo raw shrimp
- 3 oz parmesan cheese
- low carb noodles or noodle replacement of choice
- Parmesan cheese, parsley, lemons, chili oil, salt and pepper for garnish (to taste)
Instructions
- Add in your Calabrian chili paste, lemon juice and lemon zest, and cook stirring constantly. Add the tomato paste and season with more salt and pepper, scorching until the tomato paste has started to turn from a red to a deeper red color, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken broth and parsley, then add in the shrimp, once again stirring constantly. The shrimp will have started to cook as soon as they hit the hot liquid, and when they are pink, they are cooked completely. This should only take 3-5 minutes.
- Cook pasta of choice according to the package, then add low carb pasta to the skillet along with your parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Garnish with more cheese, parsley, slices of lemon, olive oil, fresh cracked black pepper, and Calabrian chili paste if desired.
Debbie says
This was delicious! I bought a jar of the calabrese peppers from our local World Market but this jar it was labeled as hot and one of our guests could not eat those, so I left them out and just added a little crushed red pepper. we did half shirataki noodles because my husband is on low carb and half regular pasta. I can't wait to make this again with the the calabrese peppers.
Briana says
That is so fantastic to hear Debbie! We're so glad you made it work for you and your family! 🙂 Thanks for the awesome comment!