Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Creamy Sun-dried tomato and shrimp pasta

Being the end of the school year means that EVERYONE is done! We are all tired of school, even Mom! And I am so tempted to order in dinner every night until summer break, but I just can’t find enough healthy places to order from and I cannot feed my family pizza for the next three weeks, or can I???  hummm… No, I can do this!  I can make dinner for just a few more weeks.  Not that I don’t cook in the summer , but it just seems more relaxed and we only get about 2-3 nights a week that we have family dinner in the summer so the pressure is off.

So…dinner recipes that are quick, tasty, easy and the whole family will eat. That is a tall order, but I have a recipe that I know you will love.  Creamy Sun-dried Tomato and Shrimp Pasta.  It is not low fat or vegan, but it is so good and will be eaten and in my book that is a successful dinner on a crazy busy May weeknight.

A note about shrimp… I try to buy U10 which means that there are about 10 shrimp per pound.  If you see U26-30 that means that there are 26-30 shrimp per pound and they are going to be smaller.  Any and all will work, but just know what size you are buying and know that when you cook them they shrink.

Hang in there if you have kids in school-we are almost at the finish line and then we can start begging for school to start so our house will be clean and we will stop finding every fast food wrappers and wet towels everywhere.

Enjoy!

Creamy Sun-dried tomato and shrimp pasta
Print

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato and Shrimp Pasta

Shrimp and pasta coated in a light and creamy garlic sauce. Sun-dried tomatoes and spinach added to the pasta make this dish colorful and tasty. 

Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons butter or olive oil, divided
  • 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails off
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 2 cups dried pasta (penne, macaroni, fusilli)
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
  • 5 oz jar sun-dried tomato strips in oil
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half cream
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet with a lid, heat 1 Tablespoon butter or oil over medium-high heat. 

  2. Season shrimp with salt and pepper.  Add to skillet and saute until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate.

  3. Add remaining Tablespoon butter or oil to pan.  Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and herbs and cook for about 1 minute.  

  4. Add white wine and allow to reduce, about 3 minutes.  Scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan (that is great flavor).

  5. Add stock and pasta and cover with a lid and cook for about 8 minutes.  The pasta will be al dente (has a little bit of a bite to it).

  6. Once the pasta is cooked through, add the sun dried tomatoes and half and half and red pepper flakes.  Bring to a simmer and allow the sauce to thicken.  Stir in parmesan  cheese and season with salt and pepper. 

  7. Stir in spinach and allow to wilt.  The sauce will continue to thicken. 

  8. Add the shrimp back into the pan and heat through.  Garnish with parsley.

Recipe Notes

If the sauce becomes too thick just add 1/2 cup water to pan until you get the consistency you want.  

If the sauce is too thin you can stir together 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon water and add to sauce.  

Needed Items