My Low-carb pasta solution will change the way you eat pasta and stay in ketosis!

a close up of pasta with creamy sauce and shrimp

Pasta has always been one of my favorite foods. I think this is where my heritage transcended my existence. I would eat pasta at least once a week, at least. When I started Keto, I realized I could not indulge with this dish as much until I found my new favorite low-carb pasta substitute.

I have another favorite pasta dish, that I want to try and make with my new favorite ingredient. The original recipe is seafood Pomodoro, of course, it has actual linguini, therefore not Keto friendly.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Top tip
📖 Recipe
Comments

Ingredients

The secret ingredient is called a pasta substitute called Palmini. Palmini is hearts of palm that have been sliced into the shape of three kinds of pasta, linguine, angel hair, and lasagna. If you are interested in using Palmini and many other Keto-friendly products. Give Thrive Market a chance. It is through Thrive Market that I learned about Palmini, and I am very pleased.

Palmini Linguine Pasta
16/20 shrimp
Heavy whipping cream
A block of Parmesan cheese
Fresh garlic
Bay leaf
Salt and Pepper
Nutmeg
Red Pepper Flakes

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

The beauty of using Palmini pasta substitution is that you do not have to cook it before you assemble your dinner. The hearts of palms are soft enough and only need a few minutes in hot liquid to bring to temperature. So, this recipe is 30 minutes tops, if not faster.

If your shrimp is not clean, shell and devein the shrimp. Give the shrimp a quick rinse to allow any transparent shells or particles to come to the top and flush away. Set aside.
Open Palmini and pour into a colander. allow water to run and rinse the pasta from any excess salt. Remember it is hearts of palms, so it is a pickled product.
Remove the rind of the parmesan cheese and set it aside. Grate about 2 ounces of Parmesan cheese and set aside. Mince the garlic and set aside a separate dish.

Pour a small amount of olive oil and about a tablespoon of butter into a large pan. Once hot, add the shrimp with a pinch of salt and pepper. We are not cooking the shrimp through, just enough to render flavor from them.

Remove shrimp and add the cream, rind, a dash of nutmeg, and bay leaf: bring to a simmer and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until reduced by one-half.

Add garlic. I didn't have garlic so I used a tablespoon of garlic adobo paste. Pour about a quarter cup of white cabernet savignon. Let the pasta cook for about 5 minutes and the sauce reduces in volume.

Remove rind. Add shrimp, and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until shrimp are firm but not hard. Remove from the heat.

Fold in grated cheese and pepper until blended.

Plate in a pasta bowl and garnish with parsley, red pepper flakes, and more parmesan cheese. Buen Provecho!

Hint: Because this dish does not have actual pasta, the pasta will not absorb the liquid. So do not be afraid to make your sauce thicker. If it gets to be too thick, thin it down with a little wine or chicken broth.

Substitutions

I have not tried any other pasta substitutes, so I cannot suggest a substitution for Palmini. The best way to describe the flavor is to compare it to pickled artichokes. If you enjoy the briny taste of artichokes (which complements dishes like this one) you will be in for a treat.

No meat - This pasta can be just as flavorful without the addition of shrimp. So try it with just the cheese sauce, I guarantee you will enjoy it.
Scallops - My new favorite seafood. Pan-seared scallops are great in this dish
Pancetta - Crispy pancetta added to the pasta and creamy parm sauce makes for a heavenly dinner.

Variations

The beauty of recipes like this one is that they can become a quick base for many other variations.

Spicy - Sprinkle cajun seasoning instead of nutmeg for a spicy Southern twist. Blacken the shrimp too!
Pesto - When pan-searing the shrimp, toss a tablespoon of pesto or toss the shrimp in pesto after pan-searing to incorporate the flavor. Then when you add the garlic, add pesto to turn this creamy sauce into a bright summery meal.
Sundried Tomatoes and Spinach- In a processor blend sundried tomatoes, garlic, and parm. Add a tablespoon of the mixture to the shrimp and the rest to the sauce. just before service toss in a couple of handfuls of julienne spinach for added fiber and flavor.

Not quite a variation but substitute Palmini for the pasta in my Pomodoro sauce, molto bene!

Equipment

Essentially it is a one-pot meal since there is no need for pasta water. For grating cheese, you can either use an attachment for your immersion blender. a hand-held grater

Storage

One bag of pasta fed me and my husband. Now, remember, we are on Keto and intermittent fasting so we have one large meal and a few snacks in an eight to ten-hour window.

In the event, there were leftovers, place them in a shallow pan, cover, and refrigerate. it will keep for 2-3 days.

Top tip

Two words, quality shrimp. I bought Argentinian 16/20 shrimp. They have a red shell, and the meat is plump and tender. These shrimp make every bite worth their price. If Argentinian shrimp are not available buy from a reputable source.

Low-Carb Linguini In a Creamy Parmesan Sauce with Pan-Seared Shrimp