This 21 Day Fix Instant Pot Shrimp and Spaghetti Squash Fra Diavolo is quick, easy, and delicious! It's a great, healthy keep-everything-on-hand meal! Gluten-Free & Dairy Free, too!
Hello lover! Am I the only one that thinks this is a PHAT dish? That's right. Pretty Hot And Tempting. I dug deep for that one you guys. You're welcome.
Anyone else remember dudes trying to use "phat" to describe the ladies back in the day? Seriously, who came up with this and how on Earth did they think that was a good idea?
I digress.... my friends, the Instant Pot is at it again making my life and my meals easy freaking breezy. Can I tell you that I LOVE spaghetti squash but haven't made it in SO long. This is mostly because it just feels like such a pain in the arse. That and I swear I'm afraid I'm going to slice my arm off attempting to cut it in half. It's really kind of terrifying.
Anyway, they usually take at least an hour in the oven, but not in the Instant Pot! No! You can have this delicious dinner on your table in freaking 30!! The BEST part is all you have to do is poke a few holes in the thing and put it in the pot (with the other ingredients of course), no cutting through that tough skin! So leave the chainsaw in the backyard, you won't be needing it today, my friend.
Oh wait! I was wrong. That's not EVEN the best part. The best part is that you can keep every single ingredient on hand SO easily so you can be ready for an amazing last minute meal at any time! To that end, I used shallots here, but absolutely any kind of onion that you have on hand will work. Also, did you know that winter squash will last for months in a cool dry place? So fantastic. Let's not forget that frozen shrimp is a quick dinner's best friend. I always keep some in the freezer.
O.M.G. I forgot the actual best part. No yellows for my 21 Day Fixers! That's right, so have a glass of wine with this meal (a rosé is great!) and a dessert afterward and indulge without indulging! Need some dessert ideas? Scroll down!
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Don't forget to save this Shrimp Fra Diavolo recipe to Pinterest! ⇓
If you make this recipe be sure to snap a pic and tag me @thefoodieandthefix or use #thefoodieandthefix on Instagram so I can check it out! It makes me ridiculously happy to see what you guys are making 🙂
Just FYI - this recipe has only been tested in the Instant Pot 6 quart duo - If you have an 8 qt, you may need to add more liquid.
đź“– Recipe
Instant Pot Shrimp and Spaghetti Squash Fra Diavolo {21 Day Fix}
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ÂĽ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped (about ½ - ¾ cup chopped)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- ÂĽ cup dry white wine (great picks: chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio)
- 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 ½ lbs of spaghetti squash, no need to cut it in half, just stab it a bunch of times all over with a sharp knife (carefully!)
- 1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- salt and pepper for seasoning the shrimp
- chopped fresh flat leaf parsley to garnish if ya like
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions:
- Lightly season both sides of your shrimp with salt and pepper and leave in the fridge until you need it.
- Press the "saute" button on your instant pot to start heating. Add the olive oil and the crushed red pepper flakes and let cook for a minute or so, just long enough for the pepper flakes to flavor the oil. Add in your chopped shallots and cook for a couple of minutes to soften a bit (they don't have to be completely soft, they'll finish cooking later). Add in the minced garlic, cook for one more minute.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, then stir in the crushed tomatoes. Press the saute button again to turn off the saute function. Add your whole spaghetti squash to the pot. Put your lid on the Instant Pot, making sure that the dial is turned to "sealing". Set to manual for 20 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot has finished cooking, turn your dial to "venting" for a quick release. When the pot has depressurized, you can use two forks (you'll be able to just stick them right in each side of the squash) to pull out the spaghetti squash and put it on a cutting board. Cut it in half lengthwise, remove the seeds from the center and discard (unless you want to roast them!) then use your forks to remove the spaghetti-like strands from the shell. I just put them in a big bowl.
- Press the saute button again on your Instant Pot and add the seasoned shrimp to your sauce, stirring until they're opaque and fully cooked. Turn off the saute function (I also like to remove the insert and put it on my stove, otherwise it'll keep cooking the shrimp and you don't want them to get tough from over-cooking).
- Serve the spaghetti squash with the sauce and shrimp and garnish with some chopped parsley if ya like!
Microwave / Stove Top Directions (see notes about oven directions):
- Lightly season both sides of your shrimp with salt and pepper and leave in the fridge until you need it.
- In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil at medium heat. Once hot, stir in the pepper flakes for several seconds to flavor the oil, then add the shallots and cook until tender. Add the minced garlic and cook, while stirring for 30 seconds or so. Stir in the wine to deglaze the pan, then add the crushed tomatoes.
- Cover and your pan and turn down the heat to let simmer while you cook your squash.
- Stab the squash all over (carefully!) with a pairing knife or steak knife.
- Place on a plate and cook in the microwave - I usually set it first for 6 minutes and then cook longer if necessary. It's done cooking when it's soft on the outside (you should be able to stick a fork in it pretty easily). Carefully move it to a cutting board and let cool until it's cool enough to handle.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise, then remove and discard the seeds and all of the stringy stuff - unless you want to roast the seeds, then by all means go for it. Use a fork to remove the spaghetti-like strands from the shell. I just put them in a big bowl and cover to keep warm.
- Add your prepared shrimp into your simmering sauce, stirring until they're opaque and fully cooked.
- Serve the spaghetti squash with the sauce and shrimp and garnish with some chopped parsley if ya like!
Notes
*Don't have an Instant Pot or a Microwave? You can also cut your squash in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and cook it at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes! (see my Spaghetti Squash Boats post for detailed instructions)!
21 Day Fix Container Counts per Serving: 1 Red, 2 Green
Weight Watchers Freestyle Points: 1
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 cup of cooked squash topped with about 1 cup of the shrimp and sauce mixture (the entirety of the recipe divided by 4).Amount Per Serving: Calories: 200Total Fat: 2g
Dessert ideas to complete this amazing dinner that's perfect for date night!
21 Day Fix Brownie-Bottom Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce
21 Day Fix Pumpkin-Coconut Crème Brûlée
21 Day Fix Banana Cupcakes with Whipped Cardamom-Coconut Cream Frosting
Lindsay says
What would I need to do to substitute chicken for the shrimp (allergy)?
Stephanie says
Hi! I would probably cook the sauce/squash as written in the Instant Pot, remove both, then put some seasoned chicken (salt and pepper) in the pot, mostly covering with broth, cook on manual (or "pressure cook") for 10 minutes for breasts, or 15 minutes for thighs or tenderloins. I like to do a natural release for breasts and tenderloins, but find that a quick release is fine for thighs. While your chicken is cooking you can shred your spaghetti squash and keep your sauce warm, then assemble everything together at the end. Hope you enjoy!
Lisa says
How do you avoid the "burn" from the tomato sauce as it is cooking. It has happened with every recipe I have tried and is so frustrating.
Stephanie says
Oh jeez! I've never had that happen with this recipe, but you could add some water to the sauce (and then put it on saute afterward for a few to thicken it back up). Do you have an 8 quart? It seems like that happens more often with those than with a 6 (which is what I tested this recipe in).
Annette Holmgren says
I love this receipt but where is the non-instant pot one?
Stephanie says
I only have Instant Pot Instructions for this recipe, but you can use these instructions for the sauce on the stove top and here are instructions on other ways to cook the squash 🙂
Gwen says
Hi! If I double this recipe, how long do I need to cook the spaghetti squash?
Stephanie says
Hey Gwen, I'm not sure you'd be able to fit 2 spaghetti squash in there at once, maaaybe if you have an 8qt. I'm honestly not sure how long it would take. I would probably start it at 30 minutes. You may need more liquid also, a little extra wine or water so that tomato sauce doesn't burn.
Katie says
How can I alter this to omit the squash cooking? I already have my spaghetti squash made. Thank you!
Stephanie says
Hey Katie! Honestly, if your squash is cooked, this doesn't really need to go under pressure. You can still cook the sauce and shrimp in the Instant Pot on sauté or just do it on the stove top in a medium pan. Hope that helps!
Sheila says
I super love this PHAT dish. It is indeed very tempting. In fact, I am going out early tomorrow to grab some ingredients. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Stephanie says
Hahaha... I'm so glad you appreciated my awful attempt at humor! I hope you love it, Sheila!!
jennifer lucero says
I love your site. Such easy and tasty recipes. thank you!
Stephanie says
This comment made my morning! Thank you, Jennifer!