This 4-ingredient pesto spaghetti squash features a creamy almond pesto sauce and is topped with cooked shrimp for a low-carb, protein-packed meal. Dairy-free and gluten-free.
This recipe is inspired by a couple reader requests: meal prep tips and simple weeknight recipes!
It takes some time to master, but I love meal prepping certain ingredients that can be used in a variety of ways. This almond pesto dip (which is a homemade version of pesto Bitchin’ Sauce) is the perfect example of that. You can make this pesto dip/sauce once and use it in soooo many different ways. I love it as a snack with veggies or crackers, for breakfast on toast with eggs and for dinner as a pizza or pasta sauce. So many uses! Because you’re enjoying it in so many ways and pairing it with different ingredients, you can rest assured that won’t dread eating it at the end of the week. Promise.
And I should mention that this pesto sauce isn’t your traditional herby pesto sauce. It’s almond based so it’s extra creamy with a little punch and tang.
This recipe obviously also falls under the category of simple weeknight recipes because it’s only 4 ingredients (once the sauce is made!). Of course, we’re not counting olive oil, salt and pepper.
I used roasted spaghetti squash as the base, but if you’re craving actual pasta, you can always swap in the Barilla legume pasta that I’ve been raving about. It tastes just like “regular” pasta but has a ton of added nutrients. I paired this with shrimp because I love how quickly it cooks up, but I’d be willing to bet any protein source would pair well with this sauce! Lastly, we’re topping the dish with fresh basil to really bring all of the flavors together.
If you try this simple spaghetti squash pesto recipe be sure to leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how it turned out. Your feedback is so helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers.
This 4-ingredient pesto spaghetti squash uses a bright and fresh dairy-free almond pesto and is topped with cooked shrimp for a low-carb, protein-packed meal.
1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp (thawed if frozen)
Sea salt and pepper
chopped fresh basil, for topping (optional)
Instructions
Make almond pesto dip. This step can be done 1-2 days in advance.
Roast spaghetti squash as instructed in the linked recipe and remove noodle strands. This step can be done 1-2 days in advance as well.
If you’re roasting the spaghetti squash the day of, start cooking your shrimp when the squash has about 5 minutes left of roasting.
Cook shrimp by adding oil to a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Tilt pan so the oil coats the bottom. Once oil is hot add shrimp, season liberally with salt and pepper and cook until shrimp are pink and opaque. This should take about 5 minutes, but will depend on the size of your shrimp and how many you have in the pan.
Transfer shrimp to a plate and add roasted spaghetti squash noodles into the pan. This step is especially important if you roasted your squash ahead of time and it’s coming cold from the fridge. Add almond pesto sauce to the pan with the squash and toss to coat. Spaghetti squash can get clumpy so just continue tossing until the noodles are coated. Transfer spaghetti squash mixture to plates, top with cooked shrimp. Sprinkle on chopped basil, if using.
I absolutely loved this recipe!! So do my brother who usually usually enjoys a real plain diet (meat and potatoes). I enjoy the normal basil pesto in many dishes but this pesto is really an upgrade of that. I also love that this recipe has a lot less fat content in it than the typical pesto dish. It will be my go to recipe in the future.
Also I found that I especially enjoyed it after it had a chance to sit for a few hours or more for the flavours to mix. If I was to eat it immediately upon making it then I would decrease the apple cider vinegar to 1 Tbsp.
Thanks so much for the share Brittany! You nailed it like you so often do!! xxx
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Donna! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit! Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
This was the second recipe we’ve made from this site and for the second time we absolutely loved it! This dish has so much flavor and texture; it’s perfect! My husband loved it so much that he asked if we could make this once a week from here out. Definitely in our top 5 favorite meals!
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Pesto spaghetti squash with shrimp
Relatively easy very tasty! Even my hubby liked it, thanks.
★★★★★
I absolutely loved this recipe!! So do my brother who usually usually enjoys a real plain diet (meat and potatoes). I enjoy the normal basil pesto in many dishes but this pesto is really an upgrade of that. I also love that this recipe has a lot less fat content in it than the typical pesto dish. It will be my go to recipe in the future.
Also I found that I especially enjoyed it after it had a chance to sit for a few hours or more for the flavours to mix. If I was to eat it immediately upon making it then I would decrease the apple cider vinegar to 1 Tbsp.
Thanks so much for the share Brittany! You nailed it like you so often do!! xxx
★★★★★
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Donna! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit! Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
Shrimp in a vegetarian meal? lol ok then.
Is there a note of this dish being vegetarian in the post? I don’t see anything!
This was the second recipe we’ve made from this site and for the second time we absolutely loved it! This dish has so much flavor and texture; it’s perfect! My husband loved it so much that he asked if we could make this once a week from here out. Definitely in our top 5 favorite meals!
★★★★★