Spaghetti Squash Alfredo with Lemon Butter Shrimp

I’ve talked before about my love of pasta. Honestly who doesn’t love a big bowl of al dente hopes and dreams carb-y deliciousness slathered in creamy sauce? Don’t lie, you know your mouth is watering 😉

Back in 2015, my husband David and I had only been married about a year, living in a little one bedroom apartment on-base, and I was really starting to experiment in the kitchen. I was feeding us all sorts of delicious, albeit not great for us, foods – pasta most of all! When January 2016 rolled around, our New Year’s resolution was to save for a trip to Italy in 2017. I was going to learn how to make homemade pasta from some Italian grannies, David was going to see all the fantastic art, and we were going to eat and drink our way through the country. Come May 2016, we had saved about $1,300…but then my Aunt Flo didn’t show up for her monthly visit, and I saw two pink lines that completely shifted our future plans. In January 2017 we welcomed our Zemirah Capri (you can read her birth story here), whose middle name was inspired by our plans to visit Capri, Italy, and the rest is *happy* history! We still plan on visiting Italy one day – after all, Rome wasn’t built in a day – so I’m sure it will stick around 😉

Fast forward another year and I discovered how much steering clear of dairy really helped my IBS symptoms (you can read our journey with healthy-ish eating here), and we both discovered limiting gluten helped with decreasing bloat and feeling better all around! We are not 100% dairy free or gluten free, but I can tell you that a big bowl of the *real deal* fettucine alfredo would not do us any favors. And since it is now officially fall and all the lovely gourds are in season, I thought I would make over this classic comfort food to be easy for our digestive systems while still tasting amazing! I truly hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did, and can indulge in your comfort food cravings without regret!

• Servings: 6-8
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Ingredients

For the spaghetti squash:
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• Two medium sized spaghetti squashes, to produce about 7-8 cups of shredded spaghetti squash (roasting instructions below)
• 1/3 cup of avocado oil based mayonnaise (homemade or store bought)
• 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
• 10 oz of light coconut milk
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 tsp of dried parsley
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of dried basil
• 1 tsp of dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
• Cayenne to taste, optional
For the shrimp:
• 1 lb of peeled and de-veined shrimp (if using frozen, thaw them first)
• 3 tbsp of butter or ghee
• One large lemon (or two small), sliced
• Dried parsley
• Kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 F.
2. Slice your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds and pulp (you can pierce the squash and microwave for about 5-6 minutes to soften up if you are having a hard time cutting it)
3. Drizzle each half with olive oil, and season to your taste with kosher salt and black pepper.
4. Roast on a baking sheet, cut side up, for about 45 minutes to an hour, until the skin is easily pierced with a fork, and the flesh can easily be scraped out.
5. Shred the squash and set aside.
6. Make the sauce by combining mayo, nutritional yeast, coconut milk, lemon juice, and seasonings in a large pot.
7. Bring sauce to a soft boil, stirring often. If the sauce looks too thick, add more coconut milk. If it looks to runny, add more mayo.
8. Once sauce has come together, reduce heat to low and add squash, using tongs to toss and combine.
9. Cover and keep heat on low while you cook the shrimp.
10. In a large pan, melt your butter over medium-low heat.
11. Once melted, add the shrimp – making sure all shrimp are touching the pan and not overcrowded.
12. Season as desired with kosher salt and dried parsley.
13. Lightly squeeze lemon slices, then add those to the pan as well.
14. Cook shrimp for about 2-3 minutes per side, until pink.
15. Serve immediately and garnish with lemon slices and parsley, if desired.
16. Keep leftovers covered in the fridge. The shrimp will keep for about 3-4 days and the squash for a week.

For another noodle “pasta” recipe, check out my Zoodles with Meat Sauce, but if you’re wanting some actual gluten free noodles, check out my Spaghetti Bake with Balsamic Glaze or Baked Ziti with Sausage – personally, I love them all. But then again, I could swim in a pile of noodles, whether they are spiralized veggies or made from chick peas.

This spaghetti squash recipe is so easy, healthy, and astoundingly delicious! I am sure it will be a fall favorite for my family, and I hope it will be for yours, too. Eat some healthier comfort food, really savor it…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

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