Buttered Seafood Shirataki Noodles with Baby Greens (Low-Carb)

My buttered seafood shirataki noodles recipe has got to be the fastest homemade low-carb dinner you can make on a busy weeknight. You can even make it for lunch if you work from home or happen to spend your lunchtime at home.

This recipe is grain-free, gluten-free, lectin-free, sugar-free, Keto, Paleo, and can be dairy-free if you use avocado oil instead of butter. In other words, it’s guilt-free!

In my pre-Paleo and pre-Keto days, I actually owned a cookbook titled I Could Eat Pasta Every Night. It’s too funny to think about it now. Yes, I was a self-described “carb junkie” (read my story). Yes, pasta was my favorite meal. In fact, Seafood Fettuccini Alfredo was probably my favorite dish. I didn’t eat it very often because it was known as a “heart attack on a plate,” but boy, did I love it.

Creamy, fatty, saucy carbs! I know now that creamy and fatty is completely fine, but not carby, especially when combined with fatty. 🙂 I donated that cookbook years ago because I didn’t know that shirataki noodles existed. Now I think I should have kept it and used it to modify those pasta recipes to be low-carb!

I first found out about shirataki noodles from my sister. She and my brother-in-law love Japan and have visited it quite often. Shirataki are translucent Japanese noodles made from the konjac tuber plant native to eastern Asia. The konjac tuber has almost no calories and almost no carbohydrates, but is very high in fiber. No wonder they call shirataki noodles “miracle noodles!” There is even a brand called Miracle Noodle®. You can find these noodles at natural food stores, Asian grocery stores, and online.

Plus, all you have to do with shirataki noodles is rinse them, warm them up, and dry in a pan, or skip drying in a pan if you’re in a hurry. It only takes minutes!

Now I can have my “pasta” and eat it, too! Buttery seafood noodles on a rainy or snowy night are especially satisfying to me. Make this Mediterranean-inspired dish fancier by garnishing with flat-leaf Italian parsley, sprinkling with fresh or dried chives, or topping with goat cheese crumbles, if you’re not dairy-sensitive.

To make this a quick and easy dish, I use canned, smoked seafood. My favorite is smoked baby clams in olive oil, but you can also make it with smoked oysters in olive oil.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 packages shirataki noodles (I use Miracle Noodle® Angel Hair or House Foods brands)
2 packages smoked baby clams in pure olive oil (I use Crown Prince Natural brand)
2 tablespoons grass-fed butter, or cooking fat of choice such as ghee or avocado oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups baby greens (I like a blend of spinach and arugula)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste (I use Himalayan pink salt for its mineral content)
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper or freshly-ground black pepper, or to taste
Flat-leaf Italian parsley or chives (fresh or dried) for garnish, (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare shirataki noodles according to package instructions: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse the noodles in cool water for 15 seconds. Place the noodles in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Dry the noodles in a non-oiled pan over medium heat stirring occasionally until the water evaporates.
2. Remove noodles from the pan and place in a bowl.
3. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
5. Add baby greens and sauté for 1 minute stirring occasionally.
6. Add noodles, salt, and white pepper. Sauté for about 1 minute stirring occasionally or until the noodles are warmed through.
7. Add smoked baby clams. Gently toss everything together.
8. Garnish with flat-leaf Italian parsley or chives, if desired.
9. Serve immediately.

TIP:
To make this seafood shirataki noodles recipe even faster, skip drying the noodles in a non-oiled pan (as described in step 1 and 2 above). Your dish will be a bit more soupy and saucy, if you prefer it that way.

VARIATIONS:
This dish also goes well with smoked oysters in olive oil instead of baby clams. I use Crown Prince Natural brand because it’s the only brand I was able to find that uses olive oil instead of highly-inflammatory industrial “vegetable” oils. Not a big fan of smoked seafood? You may also use canned baby clams or precooked shrimp. Not in a hurry? Cook up some fresh seafood to serve with the noodles!

Now I should create a low-carb shirataki Fettuccini Alfredo recipe 😉

Looking for additional quick and easy seafood recipes? Check out my Fish Hash recipe.