Food Hussy Recipe: Shrimp Linguine with Spinach & Ricotta

I'm a big fan of Cooking Light - it's a great resource for healthy eating and they always have lots of recipes that I can make in 20 minutes or less! That is essential after a long day at work and coming home to two dogs that want to play play play - I don't have time to slave over the stove for 2 hours...I need fast! 

I found this recipe for Shrimp Linguine with Spinach & Ricotta (and fennel, but I hate fennel) and added it to the menu plan for the week. 

I got really adventurous this time around and used the shrimp that were "raw" rather than the cooked. I have no idea why I'd never tried these before - I think the ones that are pre-cooked are just more readily available and stocked in the freezer dept. I did though get ones that were peeled and deveined - I'm not going to all that work. I have to say after using these - I won't buy the others ever again (except for Larry's shrimp cocktail addiction). 

The recipe was easy enough - just saute the shrimp and shallots, then add garlic. These raw shrimp cooked up really nicely and got that pinkish hue (Seinfeld callback - anyone?) that makes them look as delicious as they taste!

Then I added a container of spinach - I forgot to take the before pic - I am always amazed how a HUGE container of spinach evaporates in just a couple of minutes into nothing! If you haven't cooked with raw spinach - try it - it's really fun!

After this you mix in lemon rind, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Then stir in a little pasta water and parmesan (cook your pasta while all of this is going). I added the ricotta into the mix (the recipe calls for a dollop on top of each serving).

And the finished product! This was delicious and I will definitely make this one again and again! Healthy - creamy - cheesy - and shrimp - LOVE IT!

This was from the March 2013 issue - check it out! And if you'd like to subscribe, click here and get 2 subscriptions for just $18 - one for you and one for a friend!

Shrimp Linguine with Ricotta, Fennel, and Spinach

Ingredients

• 9 ounces fresh linguine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil $
• 8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 cup vertically sliced fennel bulb
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind $
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice $
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 ounces grated fresh Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup) $
• 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Preparation

1. 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
2. 2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add shrimp, fennel, and shallots; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add spinach; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts.
3. 3. Stir in rind and next 3 ingredients (through salt). Stir in reserved cooking liquid; cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Add pasta and Parmesan cheese; toss to coat. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon ricotta.