A few months ago my sister told me about a tasty dish she had at Applebees, Lemon Shrimp Fettuccine, and asked if I would try to make a dish similar to it though healthier! The description of the dish on Applebees website is: Seared plump shrimp, ripe tomatoes, onions, sautéed fresh spinach and basil served over fettuccine noodles lightly tossed in a roasted garlic cream sauce and topped with artichokes, lemon zest and Parmesan. I am not a huge fan of artichokes and happened to have zucchini on hand so I substituted that for the artichokes and spinach. I really enjoyed this dish and didn’t find it to overwhelmingly lemon like some other recipes I have tried. And for those watching their waist line this is only 10 Points Plus on the Weight Watchers system while the original dish from Applebees is 28 Points Plus, so I would call it a success – still tasty and much healthier!
Roasted Garlic & Lemon Shrimp Pasta: Serves 4
8oz Pasta
1lbs Shrimp – Peeled & De-veined
4-6 Garlic Cloves – Separate the the cloves, but leave in their papery shell.
2tsp Olive Oil
1 Zucchini – Chopped
1 Onion – Chopped
1-2 Plum Tomatoes – Seeded & Chopped
1TB Lemon Zest
Juice of 1 Lemon (Approx 1/4C)
1C Chicken Stock
2TB Cream Cheese – I use 1/3 Less Fat
1/4C Parmesan Cheese – Shredded
1tsp Corn Starch
1tsp Basil (Or 1TB fresh if you have it!)
Salt & Pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set to the side. While the pasta is cooking set a large skillet over medium heat and add the whole garlic cloves – paper and all – in the pan with NO oil. cook for 8-10 minutes browning on each side, try not to let them burn, little brown spots are okay. They are ready when you push down on them and call tell they are soft inside. Remove the garlic and set to the side.
In the same skillet add 1tsp of olive oil with the zucchini, onion and some salt and pepper. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the onions are translucent and the zucchini is cooked through, remove to the side. Add the remaining tsp of olive oil to the pan and add the shrimp with some salt, pepper and half of the basil. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the shrimp are completely cooked through. Add the shrimp to the vegetables on the side.
To make the sauce I tossed the ingredients into the blender, stock, lemon zest and juice, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, corn starch, remaining basil. Lastly peel the papery shell off of the garlic cloves and toss the cloves into the blender and blend until smooth. Once the sauce is fully blended pour it into the skillet over medium heat and stir constantly as it warms up. Once it starts to boil it will thicken pretty quickly. When the sauce has reached a gravy like consistancy add it to the pasta with the shrimp and veggies, stir to incorporate evenly, then cover with a lid and let it sit for a minute or two then serve and enjoy!
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WW: 10 Points Plus / serving
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