This Paleo Shrimp Scampi, is a light, easy dinner and it’s ready in less than 30 minutes! Juicy shrimp are coated in a buttery (with no butter!) lemony, garlicky sauce, then tossed with cherry tomatoes over spaghetti squash.
And it’s dairy-free, gluten-free, low carb and Whole30 friendly!
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Why this recipe works
Shrimp scampi is a classic Italian-American dish, usually consisting of shrimp cooked with olive oil or butter (or both), garlic and white wine, and often served over long, thin noodles. “Scampi” in fact refers to a crustacean much like a mini-lobster. They’re not readily available in the U.S. so when Italians immigrated here, they used shrimp instead but kept the “scampi” in the title of the dish.
Variations ensued, including adding tomatoes, herbs and breadcrumbs.
But I like what I think of as the “classic” version and wanted to come up with a Paleo and Whole30 version. So out goes the butter and instead we’re using ghee, which is clarified butter (or butter with the dairy solids removed; however, if you need this to be strictly dairy-free, see the notes after the recipe).
And we won’t use white wine, but we still need some acidity to cut through the richness so we’ll use lemon juice instead. And instead of pasta, we’ll use spaghetti squash. To make it more like a full meal, I like to add some quickly sautéed cherry tomatoes as well.
And that is how you make shrimp scampi Paleo, Whole30 and low carb.
Because this is a fast and light dish, it’s one of those easy Paleo summer recipes you can whip up on a weeknight.
What you need
Ingredients:
- 1 medium to large spaghetti squash, about 2-3 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, preferably tail-off (thawed if frozen)
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- juice of 1 lemon, about 3-4 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil, for garnish
Equipment:
- a large skillet or 3-quart sauté pan
- a cutting board
- a paring knife
- a chef’s knife
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- cooking tongs or a spatula (the kind for flipping, not stirring)
- a microwave-safe plate
- a large spoon
How to make Paleo Shrimp Scampi (with step-by-step photos)
Step 1
Get the spaghetti squash started: stab it with a knife every 1-2 inches, making sure the knife pierces all the way to the center.
Step 2
Place on a microwave-safe plate and cook for 16-20 minutes, depending on its size, rotating the squash 180° halfway through the cooking time. The squash is done when a fork can easily pierce the skin.
Step 3
Carefully remove the squash from the microwave and place on a cutting board. Use a large knife to cut the squash in half crosswise (you might need to hold the squash with a towel if it’s very hot). Let the steam escape from the cut sides so the squash can cool somewhat.
Step 4
While the squash is cooking, heat the oil and ghee in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat.
Step 5
Add the shrimp in a single layer and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the black pepper.
Let cook until just starting to turn pink, about 2-3 minutes, then flip and sprinkle with another 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Step 6
Just as the shrimp are becoming totally pink and opaque (another 2-3 minutes), make a little space in the middle of the pan. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.
Step 7
Add the halved cherry tomatoes and lemon juice and toss everything together for 1-2 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes are warm. Remove from the heat. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, or whatever else you think it needs.
Step 8
Finish the squash: Use a large spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds of the squash halves. Then use a fork to scrap out the “noodles,” dragging the tines in a circle around the inside of the squash to create long strands.
Step 9
Add the squash to a platter or pasta bowls, top with the shrimp mixture and then sprinkle the chopped parsley or basil on top. Mangia!
Frequently Asked Questions
Even though ghee is butter with the dairy solids removed, it’s not considered completely dairy-free. If you need this dish to be completely dairy-free, omit the ghee and replace it with your favorite dairy-free butter substitute or use 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
You can use shrimp that are not peeled – it will just be a little bit messier to eat as you’ll have to pull the peels off with your hands while you eat.
Add more red pepper flakes to make it spicier or omit them entirely.
Instead of lemon juice, you can use 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar.
I do not recommend making the shrimp ahead of time. Reheating the shrimp could overcook them and make them tough and rubbery.
However, you could make the spaghetti squash ahead of time. Store the cooked “noodles” in the fridge for up to 3 days – just know that they might get a little soft as they sit.
I do not recommend freezing this dish. The spaghetti “noodles” would likely lose all their texture and become mushy. And reheating the shrimp could overcook them and make them tough and rubbery.
Other recipes you might like:
- Creamy Tuscan Shrimp (Paleo, Whole30)
- Whole30 Shrimp Fried Rice
- Tequila Pineapple Shrimp Skewers (Paleo)
- Gluten-Free Salmon Cakes (Paleo, Whole30)
- Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce (Paleo, Whole30)
Paleo Shrimp Scampi (Whole30)
Ingredients
- 1 2-3 pounds spaghetti squash
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled, deveined, preferably tail-off (thawed and patted dry if frozen)
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper divided
- 1 large garlic clove peeled and minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil
Instructions
- Get the spaghetti squash started: stab it with a knife every 1-2 inches, making sure the knife pierces all the way to the center.
- Place on a microwave-safe plate and cook for 16-20 minutes, depending on its size, rotating the squash 180° halfway through the cooking time. The squash is done when a fork can easily pierce the skin.
- Carefully remove the squash from the microwave and place on a cutting board. Use a large knife to cut the squash in half crosswise (you might need to hold the squash with a towel if it's very hot). Let the steam escape from the cut sides so the squash can cool somewhat.
- While the squash is cooking, heat the oil and ghee in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add the shrimp in a single layer and sprinkle with half of the salt and black pepper. Let cook until just starting to turn pink, about 2-3 minutes, then flip and sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pepper.
- Just as the shrimp are becoming totally pink and opaque (another 2-3 minutes), make a little space in the middle of the pan. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.
- Add the halved cherry tomatoes and lemon juice and toss everything together for 1-2 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes are warm. Remove from the heat. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, or whatever else you think it needs.
- Finish the squash: Use a large spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds of the squash halves. Then use a fork to scrap out the "noodles," dragging the tines in a circle around the inside of the squash to create long strands.
- Add the squash to a platter or pasta bowls, top with the shrimp mixture and then sprinkle the chopped parsley or basil on top. Mangia!
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