Inspiration: I’m so glad that I discovered spaghetti squash recently, because it’s one of those ingredients that is just so versatile. I was hunting around for something unique to make, when I found this recipe. Shrimp scampi with chunks of avocado and cheese? It was a strange combination that had me intrigued.

What we Loved: I adored this meal. Loved it. The shrimp were cooked in an amazingly rich scampi butter, then combined with creamy, cool avocado and nutty pieces of asiago cheese. It’s sounds like an odd combination, but everything went so well together! The cheese added such a sharp bite, which contrasted really well with the mild avocado and squash. But what really made this meal fantastic was the scampi sauce. The shrimp were saturated in the buttery flavor, and the extra sauce poured atop everything was really out of this world. I plan to make this meal again in the summer, with a nice bottle of chardonnay and some sunshine :)

Helpful Hints: I used chives in the scampi butter instead of parsley, but they browned up a bit and I don’t think that they added too much flavor, as far as herbs go. I would recommend adding some fresh cilantro on top of this after it’s plated, instead. Cilantro’s bright, fresh flavor would work really well and give this dish even more of a Southwestern spin.

Anaheim Shrimp Scampi
Source: George Stella, Food Network

I modified the recipe a touch. Here’s the recipe as I made it.

For the scampi butter
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup Vidalia onion, minced
1 handful chives, minced
Sprinkle of garlic powder
Sprinkle of Kosher salt
Sprinkle of black pepper
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1/2 lemon, juiced

For the rest of the meal
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tail removed
3 oz Asiago cheese, cut into small chunks
1 avocado, cut into chunks
1 spaghetti squash

1. Poke the spaghetti squash all over with a fork. Place the squash in a baking dish, and roast in the oven at 400 degrees for one hour. Remove the squash from the oven, let cool, and then cut in half. Discard the seeds, and then scrape the spaghetti squash strands into a sauce pan or pot. Place the pan on the stove over very low heat to keep warm.

2. While the squash is cooking, make the scampi butter. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix to combine.

3. Place 2/3 of the scampi butter in a saute pan over high heat, and melt. Add the shrimp, and cook for approximately 3-4 minutes, until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the remaining scampi butter.

5. Plate the spaghetti squash. Top with shrimp, avocado, and cheese. Pour the remaining scampi butter in the pan atop everything, and serve.