This recipe was developed because I love shrimp scampi, but needed to reduce carbs for my Dad's diet. I also love spaghetti squash and am always looking for new recipes to use it! This is a great alternative for those that want to reduce carbs but want the full flavor of yummy shrimp scampi!!
The one "hard" part of this recipe was cooking the squash and squeezing out the water after you scrape it. Other than that...it isn't that hard to prepare for your family!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Recipe:
Serves: 6 people
Ingredients:
Frozen shrimp Spaghetti squash 2 lemons 2/3 cup chicken broth (or vegetable if you are a pescatarian) 1 large shallot diced 4 large cloves of garlic minced Lemon pepper Garlic powder Salt and pepper 2 zucchini 2 tbsp butter 1 bag of shredded sharp cheddar (any brand will do!) 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (we use locatelli)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400. Cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and put face down on an aluminum lined sheet tray. Roast for 35-45 min or until fork tender.
2. Defrost shrimp in a water bowl, peel the tails and cut them in half. Pat the shrimp dry.
3. In a separate bowl, combine minced garlic, diced shallots, zest of two lemons, juice of 1.5 lemons, chicken broth, 3-4 dashes lemon pepper, 3-4 dashes garlic powder, and melted butter. Add shrimp and toss until well coated. Marinade for 20-30 min.
4. Cut the zucchini in half and then perpendicular. So they should be half circles. Sauté in a pan on medium high heat with oil and a little garlic powder and lemon pepper until lightly browned...Around 5-6 min or so depending on your heat. You don’t want to cook it too much because it will cook again in the oven.
5. Remove the spaghetti squash from the oven, but do not turn it off. Using two forks, scrape out the insides into a bowl. Should look like "spaghetti" when done.
6. This next part I did with heat proof gloves, but you can also wait for it to cool or stick it in the freezer for a few minutes...I then put the squash in a dish towel and squeezed out the liquids. Caution...it is really hot if doing it right from the oven.
7. Then, combine the squash, zucchini and 1/2 cup of cheddar in a casserole dish. You can add more cheese if you’re feeling adventurous!
8. With a slotted spoon, top the spaghetti squash with the marinated shrimp. Then top the shrimp with 1/2 cup of cheddar and 1/4 cup of parm.
9. Bake for 20 more minutes in the 400 degree oven or until shrimp are pink. Then put it on broil for 3 min or until the top is lightly browned. Serve immediately!!
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