Serve up dinner for two in style with this Parmesan Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp! Tender strands of squash tossed with spinach, pesto, and parmesan, then topped with the most delicious seasoned shrimp.
After quite a few friends mentioned loving my Cheesy Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash with shrimp added to the mix, I had to give it a try for myself.
Holy COW! The combination was nothing short of fantastic and SO filling too. Win-win.
Ever since that glorious day, I’ve been shrimpifying my spaghetti squash and loving every second of it.
This recipe is fantastic! I’m so used to pairing my spaghetti squash with a medley of cheeses, chicken, and veggies that I was totally shocked that I hadn’t bust out the shrimp earlier!
Much like shrimp and actual pasta, the pairing works marvelously together and the tender strands of squash are simply phenomenal swirled with the seasoned sautéed shrimp.
Since I obviously need to let my blog buddies in on the fun, here’s a super simple recipe for pesto parmesan spaghetti squash with shrimp!
You can serve this up in the built-in veggie bowl that makes spaghetti squash oh-so awesome or pile the tender strands in a spaghetti-like tower on a plate. Both are excellent options as long as you get this in your face, stat!
Seriously, run to the kitchen! Cook all the things!
Then invite me over for a plate?
Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp
The recipe below serves 2 but can be easily doubled to feed a family of four.
Add as much shrimp, pesto, and fresh baby spinach as your heart desires and feel free to round out the meal with a veggie-packed salad or a piping hot bowl of soup.
Then come back and let me know how it was! I can’t wait!
Parmesan Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 spaghetti squash
- 1.5 tsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 TBSP pesto plus any extra to taste
- 1 ounce fresh spinach chopped
- 1/4-1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 8-10 ounces fresh raw shrimp (defrosted if frozen)
- ¼ tsp regular paprika
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 TBSP chopped parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Slice your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. For easy cutting, you can microwave your squash for 4 minutes to soften it up just a tad. The knife slides through way easier this way!
- Rub the cut side of the squash with 1/2 tsp olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Roast face-down for about 40 minutes, or until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Cooking time will vary a bit depending on the size of your squash, and larger squash will need to roast a bit longer to tenderize. Once ready, the once rock-hard exterior of the squash will be visibly softened with a tender interior.
- While the squash roasts, measure out your seasoning, clean your shrimp, and defrost if needed. Lately I’ve been buying frozen, deveined, easy peel shrimp. All I have to do is defrost, peel (I’ll typically leave the tail on for extra flavor while cooking – totally optional!) and cook! I avoid pre-cooked shrimp at all costs because the texture doesn’t work for me.
- Once squash is roasted, allow to cool slightly until easily handled.
- While it cools, pat your shrimp dry and season with paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper – plus any salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat a stainless steel skillet to medium-high heat with 1 tsp of oil and sauté your shrimp. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes until shrimp curl and become opaque. The saute time will depend on the heat setting you choose and the size of your shrimp, but regardless they’ll be perfectly cooked in a matter of minutes!
- Back to the squash! Use a fork to separate and fluff the strands of spaghetti squash and remove strands. While the squash is still warm, toss together with spinach, pesto, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The warm strands will wilt your spinach until bright green and glossy. If needed, you can toss the boats back in the oven to warm them up.
- Stuff the tasty strands back into your squash boat (load ’em up!) and top with your shrimp.
- Dive in while it’s hot!
Notes
Nutrition
The pesto also makes a perfect flavoring for the mild squash and I love it alongside the slightly spicy seasoning blend I added to my shrimp. It reminds me of an super basic blackening seasoning and has been my go-to spice blend for shrimp for ages now. Good stuff! Ready to get cooking? I’ll see ya in the kitchen!
If you get a chance to try this shrimp topped parmesan pesto spaghetti squash, let me know!
You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
special diets and spaghetti squash swaps
- dairy-free friends: use your favorite parmesan-free pesto recipe and skip the sprinkling of cheese in this recipe, the bold flavors of the pesto and seasoned shrimp will more than make up for it here!
- no shrimp? No problem! Try it with roasted/seasoned chicken or simply whip up this pesto-riffic spaghetti squash instead.
- t-rex chefs: Paul perked up at the idea of adding a sprinkling of bacon on top. But I mean, doesn’t he always?!
- ga-ga for grilling? Get your grill-master on and make this with grilled shrimp!
Craving more spaghetti squash?
Check out our favorites below! I also have a rockin’ Roasted Spaghetti Squash tutorial if you need it and a little collection of 7 Ways to Stuff a Spaghetti Squash.
- Cheesy Garlic Parmesan Spinach Spaghetti Squash
- BBQ Chicken Spaghetti Squash
- Holly’s Spaghetti Squash Casserole looks delish too!
- Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Bowls
- Spaghetti Squash Parmesan
I know I have left messages before, but I need to say that I just had some leftover spaghetti squash with pesto and it is so good!!! I would make the squash and pesto without the shrimp, it is that delicious!
Thank you so much! I’m beyond honored that you’ve been loving the recipe!
This got a thumbs up tonight. The flavor of the shrimp is perfect. A nice kick, but not overpowering. I tripled the shrimp because that’s how it rolls in my house. I used store bought pesto, but next time I’ll make my own.
Why so high in Carbs? 36 is a lot for a pretty light dish. This may not work well for a diabetic like myself
Hi Paul! The recipe calculator I am using seems to think the entire spaghetti squash has over 70 grams of carbohydrates in it but I think it is mistaken. A typical spaghetti squash yields around 3-4 cups of squash strands at approx. 7 grams of carbohydrates per cup with 5.5 net carbs. This will vary some based on the size squash used as some are very small and some can be quite huge so I for sure suggest measuring out how many cups yours produces to help you calculate it for dietary needs. Hope this helps! Thanks for pointing this out so I can correct the recipe card’s estimate.
What a winner! I didn’t have spinach on hand so I substituted lettuce. No pesto in this house, lol. I just left that out. Hubbs loved it.
Easy to prepare, squash made ahead of time. This was a hit, even though I increased the amount of spices on the shrimp. My guest absolutely loved it all and I have known him to be a picky eater! Thank you!
So tasty and really pretty easy. I added sun dried tomatoes and used kale pesto. Super flavorful! Thanks Peas & Carrots – again!
LOOOOVE kale pesto and sun-dried tomatoes! Def trying my next squash bowl with both. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Laura!
I have a spaghetti squash I’ve been wondering what to do with! So glad I came upon this recipe, the pesto combined with shrimp looks like an absolutely delicious dish!
We use spaghetti squash all the time because of the lower carbs. I am always looking for new ideas and this shrimp parmesan was just perfect for my family!
Such a wonderful way to prepare spaghetti squash! It looks absolutely amazing with that shrimp and I love the flavor from the pesto. Yum!
Stuffed spaghetti squash is my jam!
I love making stuffed spaghetti squash for dinner and this recipe is so good.
Thanks Ashley! It’s an easy one to do on repeat too. So easy and cozy!
What a great easy dinner option. I will be making this tonight!
So excited for you to try it!
Such a fantastic low carb meal! We loved it!
Thanks Elizabeth! Happy it was a hit! xo
Flavor is awesome! (I made a spinach and avocado pesto with toasted almonds and browned garlic) But I think I cooked my squash too long. Only 20 minutes since medium size, but it turned into mush. Will definitely try again because the flavor was so amazing!
Would love the recipe for the spinach and avocado pesto that sounds yummy and healthy!
Loved it! I didn’t have pesto so I skipped it and it was still great.I was out of my comfort zone by cooking squash, but I still had fun with it. I’ve made this twice already. My husband loved it, and he was talking about with over the phone. Thank you Peas & Crayons!
We found a new dish to add to our monthly menu! My husband has not been a big fan of most of the creative veggie meals I’ve tried, but he loved this. I did make a couple minor adjustments. First, I used scallops instead of shrimp,(we are pescatarian so we eat a lot of shrimp) for a change to our diet, but spiced it the same. Then I had an extra mushroom so I sautéed it with some red onion and added that to the mix. The last change was the cheese mix. We are not huge fans of too much parm., so I reduced the Parmesan to about an 1/8th of a cup and added 1/2 cup of Mexican shredded cheese. This was so good that my husband wants it again next week! Thanks for the great recipe.
Yay!!!! Thanks Renee!
I’m not sure what happened but Unfortunately, my family did not like this recipe and didn’t eat very much at all. I had throw out shrimp. What a waste of money! I guess sometimes it just not their cup of tea. 🙁
Made this for supper tonight my husband and I loved it.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Cheryl!
Easy meal, very good!
Thank you Dori!
This was unbelievably good! It’s going into our favorites.
Yay!!! So stoked to hear it Lisa, thank you!
short story short it was excellent I never tried anything like this because I am not an experimental cook! the hardest part was trying to cut the squash in half I just about gave up and wanted to get a saw! I used mozzarella cheese because we are not fond of Parmesan and it was excellent thank you very much!
They should invent a spaghetti squash saw lol! I’m so glad you tried the recipe and that it was a hit! Thanks you Deborah! xoxo
Easy and tasty! I will be making this again, a little less spinach taste time. I used a box of frozen spinach. It overwhelmed the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Lori! I’m not a fan of having too much strong frozen spinach taste either so if you can snag some fresh spinach, I highly suggest trying it this way. Delish!
Sooo good! Doubled and love leftovers!! Cooked the squash in an instapot – so easy! Thank you!
Didn’t you microwave the squash first? Try that next time, for 3-4 min. That softens up the squash just a bit to make it easier to slice.
Well hi my name is Debbie I am not an experimental cook let’s I when you’re over 65 you’re so set in your ways and all of a sudden now I’ve decided to become sheftel well I did it with the help of a friend and I was just amazed at how easy it was first off well I shouldn’t say that the hardest part was trying to cut the squash in half I didn’t know I thought perhaps we needed us all lol and I’m sorry for not using any punctuation at this time I just change it up a bit we might companion and myself are not fond of Parmesan cheese so what was mozzarella it was excellent my companion as I said to eat this and he had two helpings and said maybe next time we’ll do it with Italian sausage sounds pretty good to me all I have to do is say thank you!
This was off the hook amazing!!
Yay!!! Thank you Tara!
This dish is so excellent.
I cooked extra spinach with caramelized onions to have on the side.
This is one of the best uses for spaghetti squash so so good now it’s watering easy to make that I’m making it again tonight for dinner thank you so much
Thank you Christine! xoxo
Excellent excellent excellent dish & very easy to make. I used jar pesto sauce. I’ve made it twice and just so good. I treated myself to buy more shrimp just to make again. I added some carmalized Vidalia onions to the dish. Made it even better you won’t be disappointed in this dish.
So over the moon stoked that you’re loving the recipe Christine! Thank you!
Great recipe. Like how you always give options after a recipe. Gives good ideas. I added Penzey Italian seasoning and I am a calorie counter so I usually adapt a recipe to cut calories at least for me. I use less cheese and pesto but make up for it with extra fresh herbs and more veggies added.
Loooove me some Penzey’s! Thanks for trying the recipe Frances! xo
Yummmm is all I can say!!! We just had this for dinner and we thought we could eat it all but your right it’s super filling.
This was my husbands introduction to spaghetti squash! He is officially a fan!
I want to make this for my boyfriend’s birthday dinner. I’m pescatarian and this would be perfect! How would you recommend to make a day ahead and bring to his place and reheat on his birthday?
Hi Dawn! So excited you’ll be trying the recipe!
The squash can be roasted the day before and stored in the fridge. For best results, I’d cook until al dente or slightly-undercook by a few minutes it since you will be reheating it the following day. Then once the squash cools a bit, fork out all the strands from the inside and store in an airtight container. This way any moisture that releases in the fridge can be discarded before you toss it with the rest of the ingredients and re-bake to heat up! Shrimp are always best cooked before serving and because they cook up so super fast it won’t hold you up time-wise. You can have them cleaned, peeled, and thawed in the fridge and then just cook them up while you reheat the squash, they’ll be done before the squash and good to go! 🙂
Made this last week for my husband, he has never had spaghetti squash before. He is a meat and potatoes kind of guy. Didn’t know how he would react…. But this says it all!
I sent him out this weekend to pick up some stuff from the grocery store and he came back with two spag. squashes and shrimp!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Brooke I’m over here squealing! Is that not the best sign ever?! Eeeee! So super glad y’all enjoyed the recipe – thank you! 🙂
I made this last night and my husband was amazed. It’s delicious! I added turkey bacon to add as well. We are fairly new to the “spaghetti squash” but we love it. Do you have other recipes?
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So happy y’all enjoyed it Lilla, thank you! Turkey bacon sounds like a fabulous addition 🙂
I have a round-up of 7 spaghetti squash recipes here: 7 Ways to Stuff a Spaghetti Squash and just posted a pizza spaghetti squash recipe recently too!
I try to post new recipes to my recipe page each week as well 🙂 xoxo
Omg! Made it last night with the Buitoni pesto sauce and it was awesome!!! I did make a slight change though. Fried 4 slices of bacon until crisp removed from oil then added chopped onion and garlic and sauteed. Afterwards I added the shrimp and added back the bacon until opague.
Yesssssss! #baconFTW! I have a bacon broccoli spaghetti squash that I love and know I would 110% adore some crispy bacon mixed in with this recipe! Love the extras you added and so so glad you loved the recipe Dorenda! You saved me a plate, right? 😉
my husband does not like squash:( can I use the same recipe but use pasta instead ? All the spices and other ingredients sound wonderful.
Absolutely Debra! Let me know how it goes 🙂
OMG THIS! I am actually drooling thinking about how good that would taste!
Definitely adding it to my to-try recipe list! Thanks!
Haha thank you Bronnie!!! Let me know if you get a chance to try it — so crazy in love with this recipe! 🙂
Oh my goodness, yes please, this looks so delicious!
Rachael xx.
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Add shrimp to any dish and I’m there! This is such a unique and innovative way to eat squash! Thank you for sharing 😉
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Can this stuffed squash be anymore perfect? Not only do I love spaghetti squash, but I love shrimp! This looks Mmmmmmm good!