This recipe didn’t originally start out vegan. The first time I made this it included cheese and shrimp – but that’s literally the only difference! On my last food-based blog, I mentioned how I plan to transition into a full-time vegan lifestyle in the nearby future, with September 2020 planned out to be an experimental first full month. So while I was making this dish for lunch today, I realized that by removing the two animal products, it was not only just as tasty as before, but it was also faster and easier to cook! (Cooking frozen shrimp to add to the pot add an additional 7-10 minutes).
Using zucchini noodles instead of spaghetti noodles makes it gluten-free! An added bonus when choosing a meal to take to a potluck considering that gluten allergies are much more common these days. If you haven’t tried zucchini noodles just yet and are a bit skeptical, I totally feel you! I wasn’t too sure of them myself so when a friend of mine wanted me to try them out, he created a dish using half zucchini noodles and half regular spaghetti noodles. Y’all, I couldn’t even tell the difference in them!! It was such a magical moment because at the time of this discovery, I was struggling to drop the pasta in order to hit my weight loss goals. My life has now been enhanced in a wonderful, veggie-filled way!
What’s super cool about this recipe is that you can add a few extra ingredients to switch it up a bit or take away some if you have a picky eater. Not a fan of mushroom? No biggie! Skip that step completely. Want to add a little spice? Try adding bell pepper or even a little jalapeno! Not ready to enjoy a meatless meal? Add shrimp or some frozen meatballs! Get creative and have fun customizing this to you and your loved one’s taste buds. So what are you waiting for?? Download the free printable version of this recipe and get to cookin’!
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