As a person of Italian ancestry I will openly admit I am biased towards Italian food.  With that, I also know most Italian food isn’t the best option if you are trying to cut carbs or loose weight.  I have made it a goal to regularly take some of my favorite recipes from life and make them lighter and healthier.  My wife and I are both big fans of shrimp scampi but we also know it isn’t the healthiest dish.  Well, that changes here.  I have made this recipe numerous times and for friends and family.  It is a hit.  It’s very simple to make and can be completed in about 1 hour (with 2/3 of that time in the oven).  Please give it a try and send us some feedback.

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 Spaghetti Squash
• 1 Pound of peeled and cleaned shrimp
• 4-5 Garlic cloves
• 1 Shallot (diced)
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice
• 1/4 Cup of fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 Cup of vegetable or chicken broth (low sodium)
• 2 Tbsp of butter
• 2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine
• 1/2 Tsp of salt
• 1/2 Tsp of pepper
• 1/4 Cup of fresh parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut your spaghetti squash in half (the long way) and deseed it.
3. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray of choice and place the cleaned spaghetti squash on it’s flat side (face down).  Cooking this way will allow the moisture to steam the squash.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.
5. While it is baking, you can cut and prep your additional ingredients.
6. Once the spaghetti squash is finished cooking, use a fork to pull the “spaghetti” strands and set aside in a bowl.
7. In a large frying pan melt the butter and add the olive oil and shallot.
8. Once hot, place the shrimp in and cook until just pink (about 3 minutes) then add the garlic.  Cook for an additional 30-45 seconds then remove just the shrimp and place in a bowl.
9. Next add all of the other ingredients (except the parmesan cheese) into the pan and cook until reduced by half (use additional salt and pepper to taste at this point).
10. Once the sauce is reduced add the spaghetti squash and parmesan cheese.
11. Cook for about a minute and then re-add the shrimp.
12. Turn the heat off and just mix the entire dish together.
13. Serve and garnish with additional fresh parsley.
14. Enjoy!