Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi
I see spaghetti squash pretty much year round at Aldi, and while you can use fresh shrimp for this, I usually just use a bag of frozen, raw, medium shrimp. I found a recipe I liked and adapted it a little to also be dairy free, and let my family try it out. Needless to say, it was a hit, so here's the recipe for you to try out!
Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi
Sauce
1 lb. Shrimp (frozen or fresh*)
1 1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
Salt and pepper (to taste)
2 Tbsp Olive oil
3 cloves Garlic (minced)
1/2 White onion** (diced)
1/2 cup Fresh basil leaves*** (cut in strips)
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
2 Tbsp Parmesan (grated )
Spaghetti Squash
1 Spaghetti squash ((2-3 lbs.))
2 Tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, drizzle with olive oil, and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place the spaghetti squash cut-side down on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Depending on the size of your spaghetti squash, you may need to cook it longer. You'll know its done when there are dark spots on the skin, and you can easily scrape out the "spaghetti" with a fork.
While the spaghetti is cooking, prepare the shrimp by thawing it under cold water for a couple minutes, then pat dry.
Season the shrimp with the paprika, salt, and pepper, then place it in a warm frying pan with the olive oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the shrimp has softened.
Add the onions and garlic to the shrimp and cook for another minute, or until the onions and garlic are fragrant, and the shrimp looks cooked.
Add the basil and spinach to the shrimp, and cook until the spinach begins to wilt. Cover the pan, and remove from the heat.
Scrape the spaghetti squash from the skin, and place on the plates.
Top the squash with some of the shrimp and spinach mixture, sprinkle with parmesan, and add more salt and pepper as needed.
*Frozen shrimp or fresh shrimp can be used in this recipe depending on availability. When using fresh shrimp, make sure to peel and devein the shrimp before cooking.
**If you have shallots on hand you can substitute the onion for 1 shallot to add a slightly different flavor.
***You can substitute 1 Tbsp dried basil for the fresh basil.
If you would like to, you can add the spaghetti squash directly to the pot of shrimp and saute the mixture for a couple of minutes for a one-pot meal.
Notes from family:
My dad was the only one home for this meal so I had a somewhat limited pool of testers. However, we both agreed that everyone else would have also liked it. The shrimp had a nice flavor, but we also thought that some red pepper flakes or another seasoning would have worked to pump up the flavor a bit. It was not too hard to make and felt a little fancier than a typical weeknight dinner.
Inspired by: https://damndelicious.net/2018/01/31/shrimp-scampi-spaghetti-squash/