Shrimp Pasta Primavera

Hi, friends! We’re making our way through the first week of school, and I have another delicious dinner to share. Pasta Primavera with Shrimp. It has so many of my favorite foods all rolled up into one dish: fresh cooked pasta, tons of fresh veggies from the farmer’s market this past weekend and some well-seasoned shrimp.

To make this faster during the week, pre chop the veggies either the night before or early in the morning. It makes dinner making move along much faster! And, if you’re using frozen shrimp, don’t forget to defrost it the night before in the fridge (or in water for 5-10 minutes before cooking if you forgot like me!). The sauce comes from the ingredients already in the dish, so no need for anything extra. It’s built in! All in all, it’s a pretty easy throw-everything-in-a-pot-to-cook, which I love for the midweek rush.

While it’s been a long week so far, it’s been good. So I’ll take it! Having these healthy dinners has definitely been helping me get through the week. What’s your favorite weeknight dinner? I’d love to hear in the comments below! Happy cooking!

Shrimp Pasta Primavera

Servings: 6
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

8 oz. dry short cut pasta, such as penne, farfalle, fusilli
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb. medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined, pat dried
12 oz. fresh vegetables (I used onion, red pepper, squash & zucchini cut into small pieces and a handful of spinach)
1 cup tomatoes, diced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
Zest 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1/2 large lemon
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, chopped
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

Directions

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain the rest. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Season the shrimp thoroughly with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook until the shrimp is cooked through, about 3-5 minutes, flipping halfway. Remove from heat and set aside.
Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Add vegetables, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook until nearly tender, about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic and chicken broth, and simmer, uncovered, until the mixture is reduced by half. Stir in butter.
Add the cooked shrimp and pasta to the vegetables, along with lemon juice and zest.
Gently toss while adding in the reserved pasta water. Stir in just enough pasta water to loosen the pasta. Stir in Parmesan cheese and basil/parsley, and enjoy!