Garlicky Shrimp and Pasta
Getting your kids to eat seafood can be challenging, but you might be able to sway their taste buds with shrimp. In addition to being kid-friendly, shrimp cooks quickly, making it a good protein when you need dinner on the table quickly after a long day. Use fresh or frozen shrimp for this recipe, as frozen shrimp defrosts quickly.
The garlic sauce makes this recipe reminiscent of shrimp scampi, but adds a healthy twist with fresh veggies.
Total Time: 30 minutes | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 box of fettuccine
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
-
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
-
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 3 cups chopped kale
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
- In a large pot, cook pasta per box directions. Drain and pour into a large bowl.
- In a medium non-stick skillet, heat oil and add onions and garlic. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes.
- Add shrimp to the onions and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add tomatoes, kale, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes or until shrimp is pink.
- Add shrimp and veggies to the pasta and toss to combine.
- Serve the shrimp and pasta hot.
Tip
If you prefer your sauce to be a little creamy, replace the oil with butter and the broth with heavy cream. Cook as above.
While tomatoes and kale make a tasty combination with shrimp and pasta, you can use any vegetable you have on hand. Snow peas, spinach and asparagus make tasty options. You can also use a bag of frozen veggies. To cut back on the cooking time, take the bag of veggies out of the freezer and place in the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
As a very perishable protein, cook fresh shrimp within 24 hours of purchase. If using frozen shrimp in this recipe, first quickly defrost by placing them in a bowl and running under cold water in the sink. It takes only a few minutes for frozen shrimp to defrost.
Overcooking shrimp can make them rubbery. Shrimp are perfectly cooked when they've curled into a C-shape. If they're O-shaped, you've cooked them too long and if straight, not cooked enough.
References
Writer Bio
Jill Corleone is a registered dietitian and health coach who has been writing and sharing her love of food, nutrition and health with anyone who'll listen for almost 20 years. Her work has been featured on the Huffington Post, Diabetes Self-Management and Working Mother.