AN EASY WEEKNIGHT MEAL: PENNE ROSA WITH SHRIMP

Does that look good or what??!! This is one of my all time favorite quick meals that I find hard to believe that I haven't shared with you already. This recipe was one of my first pins on Pinterest and I have made it several times since then. Not only is this particular recipe easy to make, but it is REALLY good AND healthy.

Penne Rosa is a pasta dish with a spicy tomato sauce made of tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, red pepper flakes and heavy cream. This recipe is healthy in that pasta is a whole wheat pasta (I've shared my secret to making whole wheat pasta taste good below). Instead of using heavy cream to luxuriate the sauce, this recipe uses plain Greek yogurt - 0% fat plain Greek yogurt that is. That may sound like such a turnoff compared to heavy cream, but I swear it tastes so good...

This dish takes all of 20 minutes to make, so it's perfect for a weeknight meal. I have used shrimp as my protein in this dish, but it's also great with chicken, Italian turkey sausage, or absolutely no meat at all.

Here is what you need and what to do:

12 oz whole wheat penne pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I like it spicy, so I added a whole teaspoon)

8 oz portabella mushrooms, sliced

2 medium fresh tomatoes, diced

4 cups fresh spinach

1 pound medium raw shrimp, cleaned and peeled (I left the tails on)

1/2 cup marinara sauce

1/3 cup 0% plain Greek yogurt 

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Fresh basil

1. Cook the penne pasta according to the instructions on the package. Drain the pasta and set aside. To make the pasta NOT taste like cardboard , add a big pinch of kosher salt to the boiling water before adding the pasta. Also, I've tried many different brands of whole wheat pasta and Mueller's is my favorite. 

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes. Saute for just a few minutes or until the garlic is slightly softened.

3. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until the mushrooms start to give off their liquid.

4. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp are slightly pink, about 2-4 minutes.

5. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the spinach. Stir until it's wilted.

6. Add the pasta, marinara sauce and yogurt to the skillet and stir until all of the pasta is well-coated with the sauce. Continue to heat until everything is warmed through.

7. Pour the pasta into a serving bowl and top with the Parmesan cheese and basil. Enjoy!

Images by me