Yes, you read the title of this recipe correctly....Shrimp Scampi can be healthy! And still crazy delicious. My family LOVED this and I bet your family will love this too!
It is actually funny how much my kids love shrimp (it's the first thing they order when we go eat at a restaurant) when I don't eat any seafood. I know, I am told I am missing out.
It's not because it's unhealthy, it's because I don't like it.
It's a texture thing for me. And yes, supposedly I've has super fresh shrimp and still didn't like it.
It took me several attempts to lighten up shrimp scampi and this one was a winner! My husband was disappointed there wasn't any left over.
I used to make this for one of our "fancy dinners" but the truth is that it's so easy to prepare, I can easily make it on a busy weeknight. Just don't tell my family that so they can still be impressed.
They don't need to know.
If you are looking for some more healthy, easy to make dinner recipes, you will love this Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup, Low Carb Cheesy Pesto Stuffed Chicken and this Eggplant Parmesan. They would also pair perfectly with some Slow Cooker Mulled Wine, Cranberry Mojitos or some Spiked Apple Cider!
Why You Should Make This Healthy Shrimp Scampi
I like to keep frozen shrimp on hand so I can make this recipe whenever I feel like it. Sometimes I go to my local fish store and pick up fresh shrimp, other times I just buy the frozen shrimp from Trader Joe's.
I also made the spinach optional because my kids only like raw spinach (sigh...) Feel free to add it if you like cooked spinach, but you can easily leave it out.
Most shrimp scampi recipes do not contain spinach.
It will be ready in only 15 minutes, but it's fancy enough to look like it took hours to prepare. I won't tell if you don't...
I left these tails on so it would look pretty for the pictures, but I always remove them before I serve. It just makes it easier to eat and cook.
It has a beautiful presentation so it's great for entertaining or when you have a date night in.
Either way it will be impressive to your guests. You can also substitute the pasta for zucchini, yellow squash or carrot "noodles" if you'd like to lighten it up and decrease your carbs.
So many people love those as alternatives to noodles so go for it if it makes you happy.
With that being said, if spaghetti or pasta makes you happy, then use that! Just watch your portions because a portion of spaghetti is pretty small and it's easy to overindulge.
I always recommend measuring your food to avoid over-eating.
Which we all know is very, very easy to do with pasta. So many people would be shocked at how small a portion is.
A reader shared with me that she added some broccoli and peppers to the skillet when she made this because she wanted to use them up. I love it.
Related Recipes
Honey Garlic Butter Shrimp and Broccoli from Butter Your Biscuit
Gluten Free Caprese Shrimp Pasta from Lauren Kelly Nutrition
Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Garlic Cilantro Lime Slaw from Pinch of Yum
Low Carb Shrimp and Sausage Skillet from All Day I Dream About Food
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Healthy Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound cleaned, large deveined shrimp patted dry
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ pound gluten free pasta
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups steamed baby spinach optional
Instructions
- Bring an 8- to 10-quart pot of salted water to boil.
- Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium high heat until it shimmers, then saute shrimp,turning once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer shrimp with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Add garlic, chicken broth and ¾ teaspoon each salt and pepper to skillet and bring to a boil, let it reduce to ½ cup.
- Add butter and stir until melted, then remove skillet from heat and stir in shrimp.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water until al dente, about 6 minutes. Toss pasta in bowl with shrimp mixture, parsley and lemon zest.
- Squeeze lemon juice on top if desired. Place on top of steamed spinach.
April
Yum! One of my favorite meals - it comes together so quickly!
Melissa
Delicious and such a quick way to whip up a good diner! Thanks for the recipe.
Jessica
I made this today, and it was absolutely wonderful! Super easy and everyone raved about it!
Taylor
This took me hardly any time at all and turned out so delicious! My whole family loved it and kept calling it a "fancy" dinner. Definitely making again!
Toni
I love how easy it is to make!! A new favorite at my house!