Guess you can say I’m mad about squash.  Not a lie.  Seriously so easy to make and cures me of my pasta craving – absolutely works like a charm.

Shrimp is a great source of lean protein and it is a HBV protein making it well absorbed.  A four ounce portion of shrimp is about 100-110 calories, 20-25 g protein, 1.2 g fat, and contains no carbohydrates.  When cooked under moist heat/oil most of its juices and water content is retained.  This is a fantastic recipe demonstrating just that.

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash; halved diagonally to form a boat shape with the insides (pulp and seeds) scooped out
• 1 small red bell pepper; diced
• 1 medium yellow onion; diced
• 1 cup of Brussels sprouts; quartered (keep the leaves as they shed when cut)
• 1/2 pound jumbo shrimp; raw, peeled, and deveined
• 1 tbsp garlic; minced
• 1 small shallot; minced
• 1 spring rosemary; minced
• To taste – ground black pepper (about 2-3 shakes with my spice shaker)
• To taste – ground French thyme (about 2-3 shakes with my spice shaker)
• To taste – sea salt (about 1-2 full grinds or 1/2 tsp)
• EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) – to coat the both pans

Squash boats after the sides were pulled apart

Shrimp and garlic marinade ball

Vegetable prep

Methodology:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit then line a cooking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the boat shaped spaghetti squash atop with the insides facing up on the pan and cook for 30 minutes.
3. On a plate mix the shrimp and garlic together into a ball.  Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes for the garlic to be well absorbed.
4. In a large sauté pan drizzle EVOO under medium-high heat then when the oil is dispersed add the following ingredients: red bell pepper, yellow onion, Brussels sprouts, shallot, and rosemary.
5. Allow the vegetables to sauté and mix over a period of 10-15 minutes depending on how crisp you want the vegetables.  I sautéed the vegetables until the onions were golden in color.
6. Top the vegetables with spices (sea salt, French thyme, and black pepper) as desired and stir well.
7. In a separate pan while the vegetables are sautéing drizzle EVOO and allow the pan to heat up under medium-high heat.  Transfer the shrimp/garlic ball onto the pan.
8. Sear each side of the shrimp for 2 minutes – each side should be seared at least twice or until a golden color is achieved.
9. Remove the squash from the oven and drain if there is liquid pooled in the middle.  Using a fork gently pull down the sides of the squash until the spaghetti is formed.  Keep the spaghetti in the shell of the squash boat.
10. Stuff the vegetables into the shell atop the spaghetti then garnish with the shrimp on top.
11. If you want to further heat up the squash boat then place in the oven for 5-10 minutes to absorb the residual heat as the oven cools down.
12. Have your utensils ready and dig in!

xxx – Sarah