Shrimp Pad Thai with Spaghetti Squash Noodles

Shrimp Pad Thai with Spaghetti Squash Noodles

My husband introduced me to pad Thai years ago and it quickly became one of my favorite dishes.  The restaurant I love is over an hour from our house so I had to learn to make pad Thai at home when I get a craving for it.  Instead of rice noodles I roasted a spaghetti squash to up the veggies in this meal.

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash roasted and noodles removed

2 pounds large shrimp peeled and deveined

1 red bell pepper diced

1 shallot diced

3 green onions diced

2 cups mung bean sprouts

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 cup roasted peanuts

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate or paste

2 tablespoons lime juice; zest from 1 lime

2 tablespoons siracha (more or less to taste)

Directions:

  1. Roast spaghetti squash.  I prefer to roast in the oven.  I roast it whole at 350 for 90 minutes rotating it every 30 minutes.  Then I let it cool, slice it horizontally across the middle, scoop out the seeds, and use a fork to scrape out the noodles.
  2. Mix sauce in a small bowl fish sauce, brown sugar, tamarind, lime juice and zest, and siracha.
  3. Spray a nonstick pan with olive oil spray.  Add spaghetti squash noodles, bell pepper, and shallot to pan.  Cook on medium heat mixing often for 5 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile spray another pan with olive oil spray. Cook shrimp on medium flipping often until pink on both sides.
  5. Beat eggs lightly.  Pour eggs over squash noodles.  Stir fry to cook and mix eggs in.
  6. Pour sauce over noodles.  Mix to evenly incorporate the sauce.
  7. Add shrimp, scallions, and bean sprouts.  Turn heat off. 
  8. Top with peanuts.
  9. Serve!