Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp and Bacon
I’ve given in and finally started making fall recipes. Last week, I mentioned that I wasn’t concerned with things like pumpkin and spice, but that was all a lie. I live for pumpkin and spice and all things fall. It is my favorite season for a number of reasons: football, my birthday (which these days, I look forward to less and less), sweater weather and recipes that are hearty, filling and warmth inducing.
Although I am a self-proclaimed foodie and make it a point to try new restaurants as much as I can, I also really enjoy cooking. Let’s be real, I’m a young professional with a rookie paycheck and eating out is really a luxury, not a habit. Cooking homemade meals is not only a gratifying accomplishment, it’s cost effective and, in a lot of ways, can be much healthier than takeout options. I tried this recipe out over the weekend and am already in love. It’s so easy, so tasty, so healthy (if you want it to be) and so autumn. It was a perfect meal for what felt like the first real fall weekend in the DMV. I adapted the recipe from one of my favorite food bloggers and put my own spin on it (read: I added bacon).
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized spaghetti squash
- 1/4 cup of water
- 3/4 cup marinara sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (you may use low-fat if preferred)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 medium shrimp
- 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled into pieces
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Using a sharp knife (be careful, I almost lost a few fingers during this step), slice the squash in half, lengthwise
- Scoop out the innards (aka seeds and stringy parts)
- Place both halves in a large baking dish and add 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the dish.
- Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes. Remove and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Using a fork, scrape out the spaghetti squash and place into a separate bowl.
- Add marinara sauce, salt and pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and chili flakes to the spaghetti squash and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
- Divide the sauced and seasoned spaghetti squash evenly into the shells, and equally distribute mozzarella cheese on top
- Place the spaghetti squash on a large baking sheet, and bake for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- While the squash is in the oven, season your shrimp with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to a medium hot pan and toss the shrimp for about 45 seconds on each side. Remove from stove and set aside.
- When the cheese is sufficiently melted on the squash, remove the pan and top with shrimp, bacon crumbles, parmesan cheese and panko breadcrumbs. Place back into the oven for 5 more minutes
- Place the squash on a serving platter, top with basil and enjoy!