To all Western cuisine fans, we present our healthy white spaghetti recipe that allows you to indulge your pasta passion to the fullest. Today’s dish calls for spaghetti and juicy shrimp stirred in a Béchamel-based sauce, offering a five-star dining experience. Also, the simplicity of the prepping and cooking process makes this dish beginner-friendly and worth trying.
Now, why not get the cooking started?
Is White Spaghetti Healthy?
Are you stressed by the high amount of saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol that other online white spaghetti recipes contain?
Not with our version as we’ve worked extra hard to ensure all these elements stay within the healthy limits. Specifically, each serving yields 450 calories with approximately 9.3 g saturated fat, 575 mg sodium, and 204 mg cholesterol.
While shrimp provides a considerable amount of nutrients (protein, vitamins, minerals, etc.), dairy products offer more calcium to your diet, all of which have been shown to be beneficial to your body’s functions.
Ingredients You'll Need
It only requires a few kitchen staples to pull together a wholesome white spaghetti dish. Shall we walk through some of them?
- Pasta: Our chefs opted for a pack of regular spaghetti that was already available in our pantry. A tip for perfectly cooked pasta: Give them a quick rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process immediately and remove the starchy outer film—no more mushy, sticky spaghetti.
- Shrimp: Italy is blessed with seafood galore, so it’s no surprise that this white spaghetti has shrimp as one of the main ingredients. We love buying shrimp fresh from the fishmongers; however, if you have some frozen shrimp on hand, thaw them properly, and they’ll work fine.
- White cream sauce: The combination of flour, whole milk, heavy cream, butter, and parmesan cheese forms a silky-smooth, luscious sauce that’s worth every calorie. It marks the pinnacle of our tasty Cheese Spaghetti and Spaghetti Lasagna dishes, giving them a much-needed creamy finish. Give them a try!
- Oregano: Oregano, which means “joy of mountains” in Greek, enlivens our creamy spaghetti with its earthiness and mild woodsiness.
- Seasonings: If you want to spice up this dish, some red pepper flakes on top will give you that satisfying heat—slightly tingling on the tip of the tongue then slowly building up.
Why add Béchamel to White Spaghetti?
Béchamel – usually made of butter, milk, and flour – is a traditional French sauce base. Chefs aim for it to:
- Provide a creamy base for other condiments (White, Mornay, Nantua, and Soubise sauce, etc.)
- Thicken soups.
- Layer on top of the lasagna.
How to Store and Reheat
1. How to store
It’s best to empty your dish of white spaghetti right away when it is still hot and saucy.
If you’ve had a big feast and ended up with some leftovers, place them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge. They will last from 3 to 4 days.
Nevertheless, we don’t recommend freezing dairy-rich dishes as the pasta will turn mushy and the sauce will start separating during the thawing process.
2. How to reheat
To reheat, place your desired portion in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with a microwave lid, and microwave until heated through.
What to Serve With?
Here are some great suggestions from our team:
How to Make White Spaghetti
Today's white spaghetti recipe consists of chewy pasta, seafood, herbs, and spices simmered in a cheesy sauce, offering an expensive-looking and tasty dish.
- cook TIME 15 mins
- prep TIME 15 mins
- total TIME 30 mins
- COURSE Main Course
- CUISINE French, Italian
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 450 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 16 oz cooked spaghetti
- 7 oz peeled shrimp (from 14 oz whole shrimp)
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 4 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 oz shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp parsley (finely chopped)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
PREP:
Cook the spaghetti: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente according to the packaging instructions. Rinse the pasta in a colander over the sink to prevent them from clumping.
Peel and devein shrimp: Prepare an ice-water bath to keep your shrimp cold during prepping. Start by holding the shrimp by the tail, and pull off its legs and head. Next, peel off the shell with your hand. Use a paring knife to cut along the back of the shrimp, about 1/4 inch deep. Remove the grayish vein. You can save the heads and shells for making soup stock or discard them together with the vein.
Mince the garlic: Remove the garlic cloves from the bulb. Slice off the tips. Press the side of a knife on the cloves to loosen the skin, then peel it away. Mince the garlic.
Chop the parsley: Line the parsley bunch on a cutting board. Cut off the long stems, then chop them finely.
COOK:
Sauté the shrimp: Place a shallow frying pan over medium heat. Melt 3/4 tbsp unsalted butter, then stir in 7 oz peeled shrimp. Cook them for 5 minutes (two and a half minutes for each side). Remove from heat.
Make the sauce: In the same pan, add 3/4 tbsp unsalted butter and 1 tbsp minced garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds, before combining 1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour. Stir occasionally for another 30 seconds. Pour 1 1/2 cups whole milk, 4 tbsp heavy cream, 1 oz shredded parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper into the pan. Whisk continuously for 2 minutes.
Combine the pasta: Stir in 16 oz cooked spaghetti. Mix well.
Stir in the shrimp: Add 7 oz cooked shrimp and stir for 1 more minute before turning off the heat.
Garnish and serve: Transfer your desired portion onto a serving dish. Sprinkle on some red pepper flakes and chopped parsley. Enjoy.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary ConsultantLuna Regina
Writer, AuthorNatalie Butler, RD, LD
Nutrition Reviewer- Joe BrCreamy and delicious spaghetti recipe!
- BabsanDelicious and easy to make. Will add it to our favorites!