Shrimp Scampi with Pasta and Sautéed Spinach

I timed just how long it took me to get this Italian Shrimp Scampi on the table. It took me twenty two minutes. That included the penne pasta and turning a couple of slices of Poppop’s easy homemade bread (that I keep in the freezer) into garlic bread. It’s a real tasty and reliable recipe for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

These amounts are for 2 servings. If you want different servings amounts scroll down to the recipe card that is below this posting. There you can change the number of servings and it will change all of the amounts of all the ingredients. Also you can switch the amounts to metric.

• 12 – 14 large shrimp – peeled and deveined
• 1 1/2 cups penne pasta
• 1/2 medium onion – chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cloves garlic – chopped
• 1 tbsp. dried basil or 2 tbsp chopped fresh
• 1/4 fresh lemon 
• 1 big handful fresh spinach

Here is how to easily and quickly cook up your Shrimp Scampi

 

If your shrimp are frozen you could put them in a bowl of water to thaw out while you get the pasta started and the veggies chopped. Or, you could thaw them out in the microwave.

Put a pot of water on for the pasta. Add salt and add the pasta. That’s what I said. I just go ahead and put it in when I put the pot on the stove.  It works just fine and saves a little time.

Chop up the veggies and get everything ready to go. Here is our veggie lineup for tonight.

For the Skillet

Put a skillet on at medium high and eyeball enough evoo to cover the bottom. Add the chopped onions. Then some salt, pepper and dried basil leaves.

 

Stir the pasta a few times as it cooks and if it is done before the shrimp just drain all of the water except about a tablespoon. Add a little olive oil and stir it to get it coated, So that it doesn’t stick together.

When the onions start to get translucent add the garlic, lemon and the shrimp. Lay the shrimp out and scoot them around a little to give them contact with the the skillet.

 

After about 2 minutes turn them over.

The spinach is going to wilt real fast so let’s wait until the shrimp are done – about 2 minutes. You can tell when the shrimp are done when they are pink on both sides and white in the middle. Add the spinach.

As soon as the spinach has just begun to wilt, 

add the pasta to the skillet and mix it all up.

Serve it up!

Serve up your Italian Shrimp Scampi with Sautéed Spinach and penne pasta.

We like it a lot and I’m pretty sure that you will too. It’s great for a quick, easy and restaurant quality weeknight dinner.

BTW Gammy had Pino Grigio and I had Chianti everything worked out great,,,again.