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.
I love this recipe! It’s so quick, easy, and healthy. To make this happen faster, if you puncture your squash, you can pop it in the microwave for 10-15 minutes. No pre-heating, and you cut your cook time by 2/3!
I just made this and it was FANTASTIC! It was very easy to make. My husband can’t have dairy, so I substituted the Greek Yogurt for Coconut Cream. Yummy! It’s a “make again” as my family calls it. Thank you!
This recipe was amazing! Great flavor, pretty easy to make and even my picky eaters loved it!
I made this tonight. It is amazing! I sautéed the shrimp instead with some olive oil, butter and garlic to get a nice brown exterior and then made the sauce. I paired it with some mozerella on top and I felt like I was indulging in a high fat high carb dish! Def one for the recipe book.
I forgot to say that instead of white wine I used 1 tbsp of vinegar! Next time I will try with wine 🙂
Thank you again!
OMG! It was amazing!
I am in love with this recipe!
First time in my life I cooked spaghetti squash and it was so easy! Thanks for sharing this recipe with us!
I can’t wait to try this recipe!! It looks delicious 🙂
I am curious though as to the fat, sodium, and sugar content of your meals? I noticed its not posted with the nutritional information
Ok I just noticed the fat and sugar content on this recipe specifically.. my bad! Still curious about sodium though.
Just made this for dinner and it was AMAZING! I’ll have to double the recipe and have the kids over for dinner. Thanks for this great, healthy, and easy recipe, Kelly:)
So glad you enjoyed this Casie!! 🙂