My latest creation, Lower Carb Italian Shrimp Rustica, is the result of one among many of the kitchen adventures I’ve been having. I am creating a new way to eat and be healthy, so I have to forge ahead into uncharted recipe territory too.
One of my favorite restaurant meals used to be ‘Penne Rustica’ . I suppose it still is. But my life is currently ‘sans pasta’, so I’ve been stirring up some ingenuity to get what I want for dinner.
‘Rustica’ implies exactly what it sounds like; rustic, rough, from the country, etc. This dish for me, tastes of Tuscany. –A place I dearly loved seeing and wish to visit again someday.
To make things faster and easier, I often cook a spaghetti squash and then freeze it in 2 cup containers for later use. This particular dish takes 4 cups of spaghetti squash. Here’s a tip to keep in mind when thawing spaghetti squash: Always remove the excess liquid before using it in a recipe. Gently squeeze it in the freezer bag and open a corner at the top to drain it.
The smoky flavors of the bacon and sundried tomatoes combine with the cheeses and Alfredo sauce to create a sophisticated but family friendly non-pasta dish. Enjoy! — Laura
Please note: I call this dish lower carb because it is 9.4 net carbs a serving. I know that this my be high for Atkins followers but not too bad for my WOE as I am allowed up to 80 carbs a day. Oh! if you garnish with a tsp. of pine nuts as I have, it adds: 19 calories and .3 net carbs.
Italian Shrimp Rustica ~ Lower Carb
Ingredients
- 4 cups Spaghetti Squash cooked
- 4 slices Thick Cut Bacon cooked and crumbled
- 8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil finely chopped
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms
- 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
- 1 1/2 cups Alfredo Sauce from a jar
- 1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 medium bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 T. fresh basil leaves chopped fine
- 6 oz. about 18 medium shrimp roughly chopped shrimp, cooked, de-veined, no tails.
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 T. olive oil
- **Garnish
- *pine nuts
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 4 quart casserole dish.
- Saute bell pepper, garlic and mushrooms in olive oil in a small pan.
- Set aside 1/4 cup mozzarella
- Mix all the other ingredients together and pour into baking dish.
- Sprinkle remaining mozzarella over the top.
- **Garnish with tomato slices, bell pepper and extra basil leaves, if desired.
- Bake 25 minutes until cheese is bubbly and mixture is warmed through.
- Serve with 1 tsp pine nuts sprinkled on top if desired.