This recipe is for everyone who loves squash — especially spaghetti squash. I enjoyed it for dinner and then again for lunch the next day. Spaghetti squash is one of my favorites and it makes a light, satisfying alternative to pasta. The trickiest part is cutting the squash in half, so take your time and be careful.
Some family members who aren’t squash fans thought the dish was so-so, but this one is really for the die-hards — the true squash lovers. If others pass, that just means more for you. The garlic butter shrimp are simple and delicious: a little butter, garlic, salt and pepper, sautéed until just cooked through.
Cook the squash all day in the slow cooker, then shred it into spaghetti-like strands. Transfer the strands to a bowl, stir in a creamy sauce and some Parmesan, then return the mixture to the squash shells to finish cooking. You can heat it through in the slow cooker or pop it under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
This makes a tasty, not-too-heavy main course for anyone who prefers squash to traditional pasta. I’ll take spaghetti squash over pasta any day — especially topped with a few garlicky, buttery shrimp.
Slow Cooker Creamy Basil Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Garlic Butter Shrimp
15 mins
7 hrs
7 hrs 15 mins
Main Course
American
4
218 kcal
Ingredients
- spaghetti squash — 4–5 pounds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup pasta sauce (see notes)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 10 ounces small peeled, deveined, tail-off shrimp
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove all seeds.
- Drizzle the cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
- Place the squash cut-side up in the slow cooker. If they don’t fit side by side, stack them.
- Add 2 cups of water to the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on high for 3–4 hours or low for 6–7 hours, until the squash shreds easily.
- Shred the squash into strands with a fork and transfer to a bowl.
- Stir in the pasta sauce, then spoon the mixture back into the squash shells.
- Top with Parmesan and return to the slow cooker to heat through on high for 30 minutes, or broil in the oven for about 5 minutes until the cheese is golden.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add shrimp and garlic and sauté about 2–3 minutes per side until cooked through.
- Season the shrimp with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the squash in the skins as “boats” or remove the strands to a bowl and top with shrimp.
Notes
I cooked the squash in a 6-quart slow cooker on low for 7 hours, then broiled it with sauce and cheese for 5 minutes.
I used a basil pesto Alfredo sauce, but any Alfredo or creamy sauce will work. Homemade sauce would be especially tasty.
Nutrition
