Skinny Shrimp Alfredo with Spaghetti Squash

When I was a teenager growing up in the mid 80's my mom was always on one health kick or another so from the time I began to learn how to cook, I did so with an eye toward making dishes healthier. We ate a lot of steamed vegetables, chicken, and pita bread pizzas, but I think one of my mom's most memorable creations was when she made spaghetti squash. 

I had never heard of it before and the marvel of those spaghetti like strands coming from a squash was pretty impressive. I remember she made a Mediterranean style spaghetti sauce with fish and it was incredibly delicious. 

Not one to be outdone, I was craving Alfredo sauce last weekend but given my penchant for absorbing cream and pasta much like the Goodyear blimp, I knew I was going to have to find an alternative - and then I remembered the spaghetti squash - thus begging the question?
Could I have my creamy sauce and eat it too?

 As you can see, the answer was a resounding yes!!

I loved this creamy baked dish so much that the next time I throw a dinner party, this is going to be the star of the show! Everything about it screams decadence, and yet you can enjoy it with relatively no guilt. 

Yes, there is butter in the sauce - some things you just can't skimp on when making a cream sauce - however the deficit in calories provided by the squash and the absence of heavy cream more than makes up for it.  

This is a quick, easy, and very delicious dinner, so if you try it, let me know! As well, be sure to subscribe to follow this blog, and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube.

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Skinny Shrimp Alfredo with Spaghetti Squash

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Serves: 2

 

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
• 20 large shrimp
• fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp each kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup 1 % milk 
• 1 tbsp cream cheese or Boursin cheese
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tbsp extra for topping
• 1/4 tsp each kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the end off, the squash, stand it up, and carefully cut down the middle until it comes apart. Remove the seeds, place face down in a baking pan filled with water, and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour - just until the squash is tender and forms strands when lifted with a fork.
2. Saute the shrimp two minutes a side in a non-stick pan misted with olive oil, set aside to a plate, and squeeze fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper over all.
3. Melt the butter in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and saute about 1 minute until fragrant. Sprinkle two tbsp of flour into the melted butter and fresh garlic, and stir well to make a roux, continuing to cook for 1 minute. 
4. Pour in the white wine, and continue to stir using a whisk until the wine has cooked down - next whisk in the milk, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese until thick and luxurious and then stir in the prawns. 
5. When the squash comes out of the oven, fluff up the insides with a fork, place equal amounts of the shrimp alfredo sauce into each, top with more parmesan cheese and broil until bubbly. 

Author:

Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, a former website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada, the $20,000.00 winner of the online competition "The Real Women of Philadelphia" and a finalist on the Food Network Canada show Recipe to Riches. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.