White Wine Drenched Shrimp with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Spaghetti Squash

This dish is an all-time favorite. I mean, sous chef approval is a serious label and this has recipe earned it. There are so many complex elements to this wonderful marriage of flavors. Yes, I hear you: another shrimp dish? And, well, admittedly yes. I am a seafood addict that is currently in denial and unwilling to attend a 12 step program. But you will love this one too. It’s healthy (wine is good for you, right?), absolutely delicious and not to mention main course worthy. There’s shrimp. White wine and butter. Garlic and shallots. Sun dried tomatoes and basil. CHEESE. Yes, cheese. And the lemon zest? A perfect hint of brightness to balance this beautiful entree. I cannot wait for you to try this.

Recipe:

• 1 whole spaghetti squash
• Olive oil to coat
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 parmesan or any similar blend (I used parmesan, pecorino romano and asiago)
• 1 pound of jumbo shrimp
• 1/2 cup julienne sun dried tomatoes
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Alright – timing is important here. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Slice your spaghetti squash in half. It might be tough, so sharpen any knives if necessary. Random fact of interest: spaghetti squash is very low carb and very low fat (yeah, yeah – the cheese and butter maybe not so much… but oh so good). After slicing, you will notice that it actually smells and looks a lot like a pumpkin, seriously. And just as you would in preparation of carving a pumpkin, remove those gooey guts from the squash.

Then, add olive oil to coat and salt and pepper to taste. Roast in your oven for 50 minutes.

Alright. Next things next. Peel and devein your jumbo shrimp. Dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

Then, mince your shallot and garlic and roughly chop your basil. Basil is such a delicate herb and you don’t want to over chop it to the point that it’s bruised; so, ensure that you coarsely chop it (so we’re prepared for when the squash is almost finished roasting).

After 50 minutes, The spaghetti squash will come out beautifully roasted; however, with a puddle of liquid in the middle. So, simply pour that out and let your squash cool for roughly ten minutes or until able to scrape out the goods.

In the meantime, heat two tablespoons of butter and your white wine over medium heat in a saute pan. Next, add your shallot and garlic and saute for a minute or so.

Then, add your shrimp, sun dried tomatoes, lemon zest and basil to the pan and saute until cooked through, approximately 6-8 minutes or until the shrimp are opaque. If the pans becomes dry, feel free to add additional wine/butter to keep the pan moist.

Let’s switch back to the squash for a moment while the shrimp sautes up: using a fork scrape out the insides of our spaghetti squash. The squash will peel into a spaghetti-esque form, hence the name. In actuality, this is a great vegetable to use in lieu of spaghetti for many dishes across the board. Toss the peeled squash into a medium-sized pot.

Add one tablespoon of butter and your parmesan cheese (perhaps combination of cheeses) to the pot. Warm over low heat until the ingredients have melted.

By now, the shrimp should be cooked through. So, begin the plating! Add your spaghetti squash and shrimp mixture atop and enjoy. It is so, so good (i.e. sous chef approved). Top with remaining fresh basil.

The final step is critical: indulge. Not only, with the food; rather, the food and wine (of course). So, for a wine pairing: the 2011 Rombauer Chardonnay. The butterball of California chardonnays – and a perfect pairing for this dish.

Enjoy!