Spicy Lemon Butter Garlic Shrimp over Spaghetti Squash Pasta with red peppers, Parmesan Cheese and white wine for a healthy take on the Italian classic pasta dish.
Shrimp is a great protein to enjoy on a diet due to a quick cooking time and it is an easy, healthy way to cook with classic flavors and bold ingredients.
Garlic Shrimp Scampi Spaghetti Squash
We love Italian food and one of the most difficult cuisines to enjoy on Weight Watchers is the carb/pasta/all things wheat centered foods of Italy. With the swap of spaghetti squash we’ve found that by using really bold flavors we are able to enjoy Italian comfort food again like with my Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce.
Cooking Spaghetti Squash:
Cut the spaghetti squash into sections, then either boil or roast it in the oven. Boiling is fastest but doesn’t retain the flavors well while roasting takes the longest.
You can also cut the spaghetti squash into rings and microwave the rings under a moist paper towel for the longest strands.
When cutting a spaghetti squash I highly recommend using a serrated knife as the vegetable is quite thick to cut through.
The spaghetti squash, once cooked, is tossed into the sauce and flavored well so it takes on all the spicy, buttery, lemony flavors of the scampi.
Weight Watcher Friendly Pasta Substitutions:
If you want more of a pasta feel I sometimes do also add in angel hair pasta as well.
If you aren’t a fan of spaghetti squash at all, another favorite veggie noodle of mine is zucchini. It has great pasta feel too, and I definitely will cut pasta into it sometimes too to have the real chew of pasta but the bulk I’d want to enjoy.
How to peel and devein shrimp:
- To peel raw shrimp, tear away at the shell above the first segment of the shell (the tail segment).
- Take a paring knife and make a shallow cut along the spine of the shrimp (the back of it).
- Using the paring knife or a fork, gently remove the black strip of intestines.
- To remove tails just squeeze the shrimp out from the bottom of the tail segment.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound shrimp 16-20 count, peeled and deveined
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 lemon juiced and zested
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 spaghetti squash cooked and shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add butter and olive oil to a large skillet on medium high heat.
- Pat dry the shrimp with a paper towel and add it to the skillet in a single layer.
- Cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for 1 additional minute
- Remove the shrimp from the pan.
- Add in the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add in the lemon juice, lemon zest and white wine.
- Cook for 1 minute then add in the spaghetti squash and shrimp.
- Toss well before serving and top with Parmesan cheese.
My husband would love this! Saving to make this for him soon!
Awesome recipe! I followed the instructions and I wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Sheryl!
Shrimp scampi is one of my husband’s favorites, so I can’t wait to make this for dinner!
Hope he likes this version!
Spaghetti squash is such a great ingredient! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I love that you lightened up traditional shrimp scampi! Looks so good!
This looks like a great weeknight dinner idea!
So, I have been cooking a lot of shrimp lately, and I’m always finding it tough, even when I am very careful not to overcook it. I use frozen, and have let it both thaw in the fridge and thaw under cold running water – and it’s always tough, both ways. Am I doing something wrong?
It may not be that it is defrosted. Are you drying it completely before cooking it? I use high heat for a shorter period of time with shrimp. How long are you cooking it for?
I’m NOT drying it – could that be the problem? I only cook for maybe a minute – or with enchiladas, I don’t cook it at all and just mix it in with the hot mixture and bake for 7-8 minutes.
That could absolutely be the problem! Try drying thoroughly first and let me know if that works better!
Made this tonight, had dinner ready in 15 mins. I used zucchini noodles but added some pasta for the hubby. It was delicious.
Thanks, Patti! I love making easy, healthy, delicious food and I’m glad it met all three of those requirements for you!
This was amazing! I saved some time by buying the spaghetti squash that’s already halved & de-seeded from Costco. Awesome flavors! This will definitely be in my dinner rotation.
What a great shortcut! So happy you liked the dish!
Cooking the squash in the instapot is the best way to go!!! So fast and easy
YES! I am loving experimenting with the instant pot!