Happy Whip it Up Wednesday!!
I’m excited to share with you today a great way to get more veggies in your diet, enjoy a grain-free, low carb dish that will salsify the pasta lover in you 🙂
Today we’re skipping the pasta and using spaghetti squash. One-cup serving has only 42 calories and 10 grams of carbs, in comparison to 176 calories and 37.7 grams of carbs in a cup of whole-wheat spaghetti.
Not sure how to prepare it?
Let me teach you!
When picking a squash at the grocery store, look for one that is a rich yellow color to ensure ripeness.
To prepare the spaghetti squash, place it in the microwave for 3 minutes or so to make it easier to cut into. Remove from the microwave and carefully cut it in half lengthwise.
Using a spoon scoop the seeds out, similar to a pumpkin.
Did You Know?? You can roast the seeds just like you would with pumpkin seeds for a nutritious and delicious snack, or sprinkle on your favorite salad.
Fill a 9 x 13 baking dish with 1 cup of water. Place squash halves in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and top with desired seasonings (I.e. salt, pepper, basil, oregano etc.) and roast for 50-60minutes.
When the squash is soft and can be poked with a fork, remove from the oven and let cool for about 20minutes. After the squash has cooled down enough to touch you can shred the insides to get the spaghetti-like strands that the squash is named for.
At this point you can add any other ingredients you like such as parmesan or feta cheese, pesto or tomato sauce, protein such as lean ground beef, grilled chicken or scallops, and your favorite veggies, the combinations are endless.
WARNING!!! If you use a tomato based sauce DO NOT add it it immediately to the squash; this makes the squash runny, and very mushy. Instead add a little bit of sauce to the top of the squash and serve extra sauce on the side in a separate dish.
Here’s one of my NEW favorite ways to enjoy this low calorie, low carb pasta look-a-like!
Skinny Shrimp Scampi with Spaghetti Squash
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 spaghetti squash
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 cup water
- 8 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Zest of half a lemon
INSTRUICTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place squash in the microwave for 3-4 minutes to soften. Using a sharp knife cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard.
- Place the halves, with the cut side up, on a baking dish, add 1 cup water to the bottom of the dish.
- Drizzle squash with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings.
- Roast in the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until you can poke the squash easily with a fork. Let it cool until you can handle it safely.
- Then scrape the insides with a fork to shred the squash into strands.
- While the spaghetti squash is cooling, melt the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Then add in the shrimp, salt, pepper.
- Cook for 5 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked through. Remove from heat.
- Add in desired amount of cooked spaghetti squash.
- Toss with lemon juice and zest.
- Top with parsley to serve.