Shrimp and Spaghetti Squash Fra Diavolo

Fra Diavolo is a classic American-Italian sauce. Quick to pull together this version features shrimp, tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, basil and capers. The name of this dish says it all, Fra Diavolo, Italian for "Brother Devil" because of the heat from the crushed red pepper flakes.

This version was created by my friend Val over at More Than Burnt Toast. Normally the sauce would be served over spaghetti or linguine but here it goes low carb by using spaghetti squash instead of the pasta. Until I made this recipe I had never tried spaghetti squash.

If you're like I am and haven't experienced this squash before it is just what it sounds like – a squash that gives you spaghetti-like strands when you cook it. Cool, right? It does taste like squash, but it doesn't have a very strong flavor, which makes it perfect for sauces and things... just like spaghetti! We liked its mild taste; it's not as 'squashy' as some of the other squashes.

I'll be honest here - you will not sign off on a nice plate of spaghetti and eat nothing but the squash strands unless your health needs required it. Sure, it was amazing but it was just not the same. LOL That being said, if you, like us, are trying to add more vegetables to your diet then this is a perfect way!

Shrimp and Spaghetti Squash Fra Diavolo

1 medium spaghetti squash (preferably organic)
1 lb medium wild, locally caught shrimp (21-30′s)  (peeled and de-veined)
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus additional as needed
1/2 lemon, zested
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes (as much as you can handle)
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons
1 medium onion, sliced
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 T capers, rinsed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 400°F.

To Roast Squash:

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds from the interior. Drizzle the flesh with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay each squash half flesh side down on a foiled oven tray and pop in the oven until a knife pierces the flesh easily. Smaller ones will take less time to cook than larger ones so check them about 45 minutes to an hour. Be careful to NOT overcook your squash as those delicious strands will start to turn into mush.

In the meantime, toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, lemon zest and red pepper flakes. Heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a large plate; set aside. Add the onion to the same skillet, adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan, if necessary, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, capers, garlic, and oregano. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the tomato mixture; toss to coat, and cook for about a minute so the flavours meld together. Stir in the parsley and basil. Season with more salt, to taste.

Once ready, remove the spaghetti squash from the oven, let cool enough to handle and using a fork gently scrape out the ‘spaghetti’.  Add spaghetti squash to sauce and toss to coat.

Comments

[bellini]

I definitely agree that there is nothing like a good plate of spaghetti, but this is a delicious way to eat squash:D

[Katie]

I bought my first-ever spaghetti squash today. I don't often see any of the winter squashes here (pumpkin was only pig food even 10 years ago) It was an impulse buy - now I have to figure out what to do with it LOL. Thanks for the tips!

[JDeQ]

It is a great way to get squash into your diet. I need to be more careful and not overcook my squash next time.