Weeknight Express: Mediterranean Shrimp and Pasta

We’ll get to this delish Mediterranean Shrimp and Pasta in a minute. First…

It’s December already??!? I hardly noticed since I just got back from….THE CARIBBEAN!

Yep, the family snuck off for a holiday cruise last week, returning Thanksgiving night. It was wonderful to be away, get unplugged, and be totally pampered. Being away meant I sadly missed cooking the BIG MEAL (we’ll just say ‘sadly’ and act like I mean it, ‘kay?) However, the upside was the chance to explore the yummy flavors of the Caribbean islands.

Silly me. As it turns out, stops at both Grand Cayman and Cozumel revealed they boast as many fast food franchises per square mile as any respectable State-side town would. How depressing. Thankfully the cruise buffets were a smorgasbord of international delights. Spicy Indian chickpeas, creamy breakfast muesli, Mongolian barbecue, and a variety of Mediterranean salads are just a few of the delights I enjoyed.

Being a first-time cruiser, I was pleasantly surprised at the surplus of free time I suddenly had. I didn’t anticipate the fact that the kiddos would quickly adapt to their new home and disappear for hours, only to resurface for meals. As a result, I quickly plowed through both vacation novels — John Grisham’s The Racketeer and Me Before You by Jojo Moyes — and enjoyed chilling out in my fave ways. Not much for sleeping in, I was up early every morning, walking the decks, working out in a fitness center with the most amazing views, and marveling at the massive ocean. The weather was alternately beautiful, then a bit rough, with impressive winds and 12-foot seas, so I got the full ocean experience, minus, thankfully, any seasickness 🙂

When we returned home there were slim pickings for dinner. With frozen shrimp in hand and a surplus of feta, I went on the hunt and quickly found inspiration from Pillsbury, of all places, in one of those impulse-purchased cookbooks you get at the checkout line at the grocery store. Long ago my kids went through every recipe and put a Post-it on the ones they thought sounded good, and this one made the cut.

What makes a recipe Mediterranean? In this case it’s feta cheese and kalamata olives. They’re the perfect pairing for shrimp and pasta and make for a fast and flavorful weeknight meal. The spinach and bell pepper add the color and punch up the nutrition profile with vitamins A and C and iron. This is a great weeknight meal since it takes very little prep work (Chopping a pepper and some olives, and boiling some pasta? It’s a cinch!).

It made for a great meal on a busy night, and was lunch for both Mark and I a couple days later. Mediterranean Express, here we come! Maybe that’ll be our next cruise?? Hm…

Mediterranean Shrimp and Pasta
Adapted from Pillsbury Fast & Fresh Pasta

Prep time: 10 minutes     Cook time: 15 minutes

2- 1/2 cups uncooked mini penne pasta
1-1/4 pounds uncooked small shrimp (deveined, peeled, tails removed)
1 medium orange bell pepper, chopped
3 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves, torn
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/3 cup kalamata olives, drained and chopped
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
2- 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

In a large saucepan bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook per package directions. Add shrimp and pepper during final 2 minutes of cooking time (3-4 minutes if starting with frozen shrimp). Cook until pasta is tender and shrimp are pink. Drain the contents then return to the saucepan over very low heat.

Add the spinach, basil, salt (if desired), olives, cheese, and oil. Toss until all are combined and spinach has wilted. Serve hot.