Creamy One Pot Penne Primavera with Shrimp

Drescription

Just as its name suggests, you only need one pot to make this satisfying pasta dish featuring fresh spinach, red bell pepper and broccoli, along with a generous portion of shrimp. To make the light, creamy sauce, residual pasta water is cleverly combined with Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole-wheat penne pasta
• 5 cloves garlic, sliced
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
• ⅔ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 12 ounces shrimp, shelled, deveined and cut into halves or thirds
• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions

1. Combine pasta, garlic and water in a large, high-sided skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil and cook, stirring frequently, for 8 minutes. Add broccoli, bell pepper, salt and pepper; cook, stirring often, until the vegetables and pasta are tender, about 5 minutes more. Reduce heat to low and add Parmesan a few tablespoons at a time, tossing the pasta between each addition until well coated.
2. Stir in shrimp and spinach; cook, tossing constantly, until the spinach is wilted and the shrimp is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes. Serve immediately.