Description
Savory Tomato Spinach Shrimp Pasta blends Mediterranean flavors with fresh ingredients. Creamy sauce, tender shrimp, and wilted spinach create a delightful meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (16 oz) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 8 oz (226 g) pasta (linguine, spaghetti, or penne)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 2 tbsps butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for a bit of heat)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil or parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Immerse pasta and cook until al dente, then drain while reserving a small amount of starchy cooking liquid.
- Shrimp Searing: Heat olive oil in a spacious skillet over medium-high heat. Quickly sauté shrimp until they transform from translucent to vibrant pink with crisp edges. Transfer cooked shrimp to a temporary holding plate.
- Aromatic Foundation: In the same skillet, sizzle minced garlic for 30 seconds. Introduce halved cherry tomatoes, allowing them to soften and release their rich juices for 3-4 minutes. Integrate fresh spinach leaves, watching them wilt and meld with the existing ingredients.
- Creamy Transformation: Lower heat and pour heavy cream into the skillet. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese, stirring consistently until the sauce reaches a smooth, slightly thickened consistency.
- Final Composition: Return shrimp and pasta to the creamy mixture. Toss thoroughly, potentially adding reserved pasta water to adjust sauce consistency. Season generously with salt, ground pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Presentation: Garnish with fresh herbs and serve immediately, ensuring maximum flavor and optimal temperature.
Notes
Preserve Pasta Water Magic: Save a small amount of starchy pasta water to help create a silky, clingy sauce that perfectly coats each pasta strand, ensuring maximum flavor absorption.
Control Shrimp Cooking Precision: Cook shrimp quickly over medium-high heat for exactly 2-3 minutes to prevent rubbery texture, watching for the tell-tale pink color and slightly curled edges as doneness indicators.
Spinach Wilting Strategy: Add fresh spinach leaves at the end of cooking to maintain vibrant green color and prevent overcooking, allowing them to gently wilt into the sauce without losing nutritional value or turning mushy.
Cream Sauce Stability Technique: Lower heat when adding cream to prevent separation, stirring continuously and gradually incorporating Parmesan to create a smooth, emulsified sauce that clings beautifully to pasta and shrimp.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 160 mg