Cocina de las Flores

This is a great spring/summer time pasta! It’s simple, but SO GOOD!

Ingredients:

1 package of spaghetti (or linguine)
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 (very juicy) lemon, zest and juice
2 Tbsp butter
1 shallot, small diced
2-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 bag of fresh spinach
1/2 c. pasta water

Directions:

1. Get a big pot of water boiling for your pasta. Once you have a boil, heavily salt it.
2. Combine the olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice. Mix well and pour over the shrimp in either a ziplock bag or container to marinade for about 5 minutes.

3. In a large skillet, melt the butter and saute the shallots until translucent. Then add in the garlic and saute for another 3-5 minutes. By this time, you should also begin cooking your pasta according to package instructions.

4. Add in the shrimp and all of the marinade left over. This will help to make your sauce.
5. Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes and they will begin to turn pink. Add in the spinach and stir around.
6. Once your pasta is done, use tongs to transfer it into your pan. You don’t want to drain the noodles, because the pasta water helps to create the sauce a long with the marinade that was put in the skillet. After you add in all the noodles, pour in the 1/2 cup of pasta water and use tongs to mix everything together well.
7. Garnish with freshly cracked pepper. If you’d like, you can also top with crushed red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese!