Shrimp Scampi Spaghetti Squash

Fall means squash is in season! I love using spaghetti squash to make my favorite pasta dishes to decrease the overall carbohydrate content. 1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash is around 40 calories in comparison to 1 cup of pasta which is around 200-300 calories! Making simple modifications to your favorite recipes, like subbing spaghetti squash for regular spaghetti, can make it easy to make your favorite dishes bariatric-friendly!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 squash, spaghetti style
• 1 lb shrimp, shells removed, cleaned, and deveined
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine, dry
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp dried parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Slice spaghetti squash in half, scoop out stringy pulp and seeds, discard.

3. Place halves, face-up, on a baking sheet.

4. Pour water on the bottom of the baking sheet.

5. Place pats of butter in squash halves.

6. Bake 40 minutes to an hour, until squash is tender to the touch. If squash is not yet tender, continue to cook.

7. When squash is soft, remove from oven and let cool until it is comfortable to handle about 20 minutes.

8. While squash is cooling, start cooking shrimp scampi.

9. In a large pan, melt butter and add garlic on medium heat.

10. Cook until garlic is fragrant and soft, about 3 minutes.

11. When butter is melted, add shrimp, spices, and wine, and cook until shrimp is pink and opaque, about 8 minutes, stirring often.

12. While shrimp is cooking, run a fork through squash to form spaghetti-like strings.

13. Shred squash all the way to bottom of squash rind – but do not pierce rind (if serving in the rind as a “boat”).

14. When shrimp is cooked, add squash “spaghetti” strings to the pan and toss over high heat until well mixed.

15. Spoon back into squash rind “boats”.

16. Top with parsley and parmesan cheese.

17. Serve Immediately.