What is a great go to dish when you’ve had a ridiculously busy week (who hasn’t?) and you still want to feel a little special? The answer is this one pot, truly spectacular shrimp pasta. Yes, I said one pot, - no fuss, no mess, and as easy as it gets. Sometimes on Friday or Saturday after a busy day, aren’t you just too tired to “clean-up” and go out somewhere for dinner, plus who thought to make the reservations? Takeout is always an answer, but well – even that can get a little boring. Without dressing up or spending a fortune and with a half an hour including prep, you can make this beautiful shrimp pasta and feel like you are dining at the finest restaurant in the comfort of your own home. The ingredients are almost staples once you figure out a few key secrets. Here is one: mascarpone cheese - it is readily available, keeps forever, and has about a million great uses. With less fat than butter, it is delicious spread on hot bread or a bagel and it tastes absolutely decadent. It subs for cream cheese with a creamier more refined taste. It can top almost any dessert instead of whipped cream. I’ve always got a small container of mascarpone cheese in my cheese drawer. The second secret is finding good wild caught, peeled and deveined, frozen shrimp. My new go to is Costco, because we adore gulf shrimp, but find any brand you like. Fresh shrimp and Tennessee just doesn’t make sense for the home cook. Having that 2 lb. bag of shrimp in the freezer gives you lots of options. If you want to switch up the vegetables in this recipe, go for it! I keep bagged spinach and sometimes arugula for salads, but you could sub anything – asparagus, zucchini – even frozen peas. We love tomatoes in this dish for color and flavor – cherry tomatoes are almost always on our windowsill, but you could do without, just make sure to use a lot of garlic! Any dried pasta will do – you can even try some of the gluten free ones if you like. Wine – well, I hope you have wine, but chicken broth will work too, just remember it’s salty. And there you have it- Weekend Pasta. Next time you want a fancy dinner in a hurry, get out your ingredients, set your table, light a candle, pour a glass of wine for the chef and start cooking in your one big pot. Boil water, add pasta, slice a handful of tomatoes and some garlic while the pasta cooks and you sip your wine. Pour your pasta in a colander, wipe the pot dry and cook shrimp- about 3 minutes. Take out the shrimp and cook tomatoes and garlic- again for about three minutes. Add wine to cook for about a minute. Return pasta and shrimp to the pot, stir in cheese until melted – add spinach to wilt. DONE! Best of all you’ll love it, husbands, children, guests – everyone will just be in awe of your fabulous pasta with shrimp. You are the star of your kitchen with just one pot left soaking until tomorrow. Now don’t you deserve another glass of wine?
Ingredients
(Recipe here for 2 can be doubled, tripled or more according to your math skills.)
8 oz dried fettuccini or other favorite pasta
6 to 8 oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp butter
Zest of one lemon (optional – could always add a squirt of lemon juice)
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic
½ cup cherry tomatoes
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
¾ cup white wine
¼ cup mascarpone cheese (4 Tbsp)
6 oz fresh spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large pot, boil water and cook pasta according to package directions.
While pasta cooks, chop garlic and slice tomatoes.
When pasta is done, pour in a colander and carefully wipe out pan. *
Return pan to medium high heat, melt butter, and add about ¼ of your chopped garlic and the shrimp.
Add a pinch of salt, plus lemon zest if desired.
Cook, gently turning shrimp until pink and firm – about 3 minutes.
Remove shrimp to a small bowl or plate.
Add olive oil, remaining garlic, and tomatoes, plus pepper fakes if desired, to pot and sauté until tomatoes and garlic start to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add wine and reduce for a minute.
Return shrimp and pasta to the pot; add cheese, stirring to melt.
Add spinach to wilt as it gets stirred into the pasta.
Serve immediately – Parmesan cheese optional.
*Spray pan with cooking spray before adding water for an easier time wiping it clean.
