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. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
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. 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.