Then, thaw the shrimp under cold water, if needed, and pull off the tails. Set them aside.
In a large skillet, add about 2 tablespoon of avocado oil and heat over medium heat.
Add the shrimp (do not crowd the shrimp - cook in batches if needed) and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, paprika, and add cayenne pepper to taste. Cook for about 1 minute, then turn the shrimp over with a spatula or tongs. Then, season the other side of the shrimp and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until heated through and no longer pink. Do not overcook your shrimp or they will be rubbery. Set the shrimp aside and cover with foil to keep warm.*Note- If your skillet has excess water in it due to thawing the shrimp, simply drain it off.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoon of avocado oil to the pan. Then, add the chopped onion, garlic, and zucchini noodles. Cook until the onions and zucchini noodles are tender, about 5 minutes.
Next, add the tomato sauce, coconut cream, basil, oregano, nutritional yeast, and sea salt to taste (I added about 1 tsp, but I like things salty). Once it's heated through add the shrimp back to the pan and toss to combine.
Garnish with fresh basil and serve!
Notes
Do not overcook the shrimp or they will be rubbery! They are done when they change from translucent to pink and slightly opaque.
This dish is best eaten on the same day. While it can be stored in the fridge, the zucchini noodles may make the dish watery after a day or two.
Nutritional yeast is a seasoning found at most health food stores. It is deactivated yeast that is full of B vitamins and adds a cheesy flavor to dishes.
For the coconut cream, place a can of full-fat canned coconut milk in the fridge for 24 hours. Then, scoop out the coagulated cream. I only recommend Thai Kitchen, Sprouts, Or Native Forest brands because other brands may not separate well or leave an aftertaste.
This dish was updated in July 2021 to use coconut cream instead of blended raw cashews for a creamier sauce.
If you're not dairy-free, feel free to replace the coconut cream with heavy cream and the nutritional yeast with 2 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese.