Traditional scampi in the United States is full of butter, carbohydrates and is low in fiber and nutrients. Although delicious this recipe is definitely in need of a healthy twist! Creating a healthy yet delicious scampi was definitely a challenge as my husband is a pasta lover. Even getting him to try whole wheat pasta was difficult. As you know I am always up for a challenge in the kitchen and I think the final product was a winner.
Instead of using butter I used olive oil and chicken broth as the base of the sauce. To bring in more nutrients I added broccoli for fiber and Vitamin K; sun-dried tomatoes for Vitamin A; and lemons for Vitamin C. Instead of pasta I chose to serve the scampi over roasted spaghetti squash, cutting down the calories and carbohydrates and bumping up the nutrients!
Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Scampi
Servings: 2
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups broccoli
- 1/2 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
- 1/4 cup chicken broth, low sodium
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut spaghetti squash in half, length-wise. Remove seeds and place in baking dish flesh side up and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until squash is tender and easy to shred.
- While squash is baking, add water to a large saucepan, warming on medium high heat. Once boiling add in broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then remove and cover with aluminum foil.
- In a medium saute pan over medium heat saute garlic in olive oil for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add in shrimp and cook until pink. Remove cooked shrimp from pan and cover with aluminum foil.
- For the sauce add chicken broth, lemon juice and zest to the saucepan. Once boiling decrease the heat and stir in cheese. Once dissolved and sauce creamy add in sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes. Then add in parsley.
- When spaghetti squash is done, remove from oven and shred with a fork. Add squash to sauce to allow it to soak up the juice. Then add in cooked shrimp and broccoli. Cook for 2 minutes until warm. Do not overcook or broccoli will start to brown. Serve topped with parsley and Parmesan cheese.
