For some reason leeks and lemon are spring flavors to me. Add in shrimp (which always brings back memories of family trips to the beach) and a dish feels instantly warm-weather appropriate. Spinach isn’t very springy I know, but it does help balance out the heavy cream. 🙂 This a delicious, simple weeknight meal that I hope you enjoy.
Springtime Shrimp Pasta – serves 2
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1 1/3 cups uncooked pasta (that’s about 1/3 of a 13.25 oz box)
1 tablespoon butter
1 leek, cleaned, dark green parts removed, and sliced into half moons
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Zest of half of a lemon
~1/3 of a cup of heavy cream (go ahead a make it a little bit more than a 1/3 but less than a 1/2)
5 oz baby spinach
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (plus more for topping)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Cook the pasta according to the package directions in boiling, salted water. Drain and return to the pot.
Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, until softened 3-5 minutes. Add the shrimp, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are just barely opaque, about 4 minutes.
Add the cream to the pasta in the pot and heat over medium heat. Add spinach and stir until it’s beginning to wilt. Toss in the leek-shrimp mixture and stir until the cream coats everything and the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Toss in the cheese and test for seasonings (I needed more salt). Serve, topping with extra cheese and the fresh basil.
Adapted from Real Simple
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