This Lemon and Herb Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp is a lighter taken on shrimp scampi that is quick and easy, healthy and full of so much flavor!
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One of my favorite pasta dishes to order is shrimp scampi so I thought it’d be fun to make something similar using spaghetti squash! I’m absolutely obsessed with this veggie because after roasting it in the oven, you can easily shred it with a fork and you basically end up with a big bowl of pasta. Spaghetti squash is also super versatile because there isn’t much flavor so pairing with different sauces and herbs really turns out delicious!
I’ve shared spaghetti squash recipes before on my blog like these spaghetti squash boats and this cheesy casserole, but this one was definitely the easiest! While the squash is roasting you can make your sauce on the stove and saute the shrimp. Then just throw everything together and boom you’re done! I mean I don’t know about you, but I just don’t have a lot of time in the evenings to spend time in the kitchen cooking (yes I actually have a full-time job on top of blogging) so finding simple, quick healthy recipes is crucial and currently I’m loving this one!
To make this dish creamier, I added Greek yogurt and a little Dijon mustard which added a nice flavor and some zing. One thing I want to note is that when making a sauce with Greek yogurt, it’s important that you remove the skillet from the heat before mixing together with the yogurt. If the sauce is piping hot then the yogurt will just separate and who wants clumps of yogurt in their sauce?? Yeah no one. Taking it off the heat and whisking vigorously helps make the sauce super creamy which is what we’re going for. Don’t have Greek yogurt on hand? Throw in some half and half and that should do the trick too!
Another thing I’d like to mention, just like with zucchini noodles, I like to drain excess water from spaghetti squash as well so it doesn’t get too mushy. Just put the squash into a colander in your sink after you shred it and lightly press on it with a paper towel. Not only will the paper towel soak up excess water, but it will drain out the bottom as well. Then throw the spaghetti squash into the skillet with the sauce and toss to combine!
Lemon and Herb Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 small to medium spaghetti squash
- 12 oz. large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 20 shrimp)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- Salt and cracked pepper, to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- To make the spaghetti squash, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and cut squash right down the middle. Scoop out all the seeds and place cut side down on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with oil so they don't stick. Bake the squash in the oven for 45 minutes until tender.
- Meanwhile in a large skillet, melt oil and butter over medium high heat, add shrimp and season with salt and pepper, sautéing for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté an additional 2 minutes until shrimp is cooked through; remove from heat and set aside (you don’t want to overcook the shrimp)
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, white wine, Dijon mustard and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow sauce to simmer until the spaghetti squash has finished baking.
- Remove the skillet from heat and take squash out of the oven. Scrape out all the strands of spaghetti using a fork, throw spaghetti squash into a colander and place in the sink, pressing gently with a paper towel to allow any excess water to drain out.
- Whisk yogurt in with the sauce until creamy and smooth then stir in chopped parsley. Toss with spaghetti squash and shrimp, serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looks so yum! I love the combo of seafood with lemon. I was wondering if i could substitute the shrimp for salmon?
Absolutely! That sounds delicious 🙂
Made this last night and LOVED it! I used boneless skinless chicken breast though for the sake of cost, shrimp is very expensive where I live, and doubled the sauce recipe to be on the safe side since I hate dry pasta and thought it came out really well. Definitely will be making this again!
This was SO amazing! I added cherry tomatoes while the sauce was simmering and once they were warm, squashed them up. The balance of the sugars and acidity plus the fresh clean taste of the shrimp was dynamoooo! Will be making this again and again.
This recipe is wonderful, so delicious and healthy! I tried it tonight and my whole family enjoyed it including my skeptical father. I roasted my spaghetti squash with garlic, olive oil, and salt before hand which helped give it extra flavor. Awesome super easy recipe, highly recommend!
So glad you all enjoyed this Susan! 🙂
I made this last night ! Super easy and super yummy!
This was delicious and easy to make check out my version 🙂
https://reallifeofanmsw.com/2016/04/28/1126/
This was AH Mazing! And so easy to make. Quite possibly my new favorite “pasta” dish. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Nice recipe!!! I love spaghetti squash. Can I use a photo for a round up? I will of course link back!!!
Absolutely! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Oooh I love this!! What a good idea. You can’t go wrong with shrimp and spaghetti squash is so fun!
Thanks Natasha! 🙂
Do you think it’d be possible to try with “normal” wholegrain spaghetti?
Absolutely! 🙂
I did and it was really awesome! Thanks for all the inspired recipes!