SHRIMP AND PASTA

I do find a difference in taste using freshly made pasta versus the dry packaged varieties.  I was at an Italian restaurant recently and they sell fresh pasta that they make on the premises. You can buy it and take it home to use for your own dishes.  I didn't even have pasta that night at the restaurant.  They have a number of entrees in which pasta is not included.  I bought 8 ounces of uncooked linguine to use for the following evening meal.  Since I had cooked shrimp in the fridge I thought I would create a simple dish using the pasta and the shrimp.  It was well received by the DH and he definitely liked this pasta dish versus the ones I have sometimes created using black bean pasta.  You can make this recipe using dried pasta and it would be just as good.  As I had about two tablespoons of an artichoke dip left in a container in the fridge, I added this to the pasta dish at the end.

Shrimp and spinach in the frying pan.

Fresh pasta cooking away.

I added two tablespoons of this dip to the pasta and shrimp while still in the frying pan.

Finished dish, ready to be served.

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces uncooked pasta such as linguine, spaghetti, fettuccine
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp oil
several handfuls of fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
3 tbsp fresh dill. chopped
20 medium size cooked shrimped, shelled
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp chunky artichoke dip, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Boil a medium size pot with salted water, with enough water to cook pasta.  Add the pasta, reduce the heat to medium and cooked to al dente.  Drain the pasta and reserve some of the cooking water in case it is needed later in the recipe.

While the pasta is cooking, add the oil to a non-stick frying pan and heat on high. Add the garlic, reduce the heat to medium and sauté for a few minutes.  Add the spinach and cook it until it is wilted.  Add the shrimp, dill and lemon juice to the frying pan. Cook for a few minutes.  If the mixture appears dry, add about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water.  Mix well.  Add salt and pepper to  taste.

Add the drained pasta to the frying pan and using thongs, mix the pasta with the shrimp and spinach.  Add the chunky artichoke dip.  Combine and remove the pan from the stove.  Serves 2 to 3.