(this is not an actual picture with the spaghetti squash....we ate it before I thought to do a picture! Photo courtesy of www.floridagreek.com)1 yellow or white onion, small diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and small diced
3-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
1 lb. cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp
2 tsp. olive oil
1-2 Tbsp. butter, sliced thinly
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
juice of 1 fresh lemon
In a microwave safe dish, place squash cut side down in 2 Tbsp of water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 8-10 minutes (I had to do this one half at a time). The squash should be tender and the inside should fluff into “spaghetti” with a fork very easily. It’s important to do this before everything else so it has time to cool before you fluff it up (no burned hands please!)
In a very large pan, heat the 2 tsp of olive oil over medium heat. Sautee the onion and bell pepper until very soft and translucent (about 7-10 minutes). Salt and pepper to taste. Add the lemon juice and shrimp, stirring until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add the squash and stir and cook together for another 4-5 minutes, letting the flavors combine. Salt and pepper to taste one more time.
After plating, top mixture with 1-2 slices of the butter and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Last week was my company’s yearly sales meeting, and every day we had lunch catered by a great local restaurant. One day they served this dish, although it was made with a LOT of butter (YUM!) and not topped with Parmesan. I thought it was completely delicious, and decided to try and make it last night, just a little healthier. Needless to say, it turned out great (I wouldn’t post it on her if it hadn’t!), and even my squash-hating husband ate it and loved it!
This is definitely a great dish to make when you don’t have a lot of time to cook, don’t want to dirty a lot of dishes, and just need a quick and very healthy meal that will feed 4+ people. Enjoy!
