Italian American Shrimp and Pasta

Italian American Shrimp and Pasta

We are in at the end of the third week of being locked down. When it became obvious that going to the grocery store was a bad idea, my husband I went to work. We cleaned out our freezer and pantry and made a list of all the food, spices and cooking products we had. Then we figured out the amount staples we went through in a week (bread, milk, eggs, flour, sugar.) I studied the list of food we already had and began to research ‘recipes with 5 ingredients or less.’ I also scrutinized soup companies’ websites for easy recipes. Then I thought about which meals my family actually enjoys. No sense making food no one will eat. Then I came up with a list of recipes that could be made from frozen and canned food. I tried to make recipes that could be reused if there were leftovers (sloppy joes become chili, leftover pork and rice become stir fry.) Then we made a list. We are hoping to make it for at least two and possibly three weeks without going to the store again.

My first real lock down meal was shredded beef tacos. I put a chuck steak in the Instant Pot with a can of Ro-tel, taco seasoning and beef broth. I reserved the leftover liquid. We made tacos with the beef. I took the leftover beef and liquid and combined them with a big can of black beans. I served that over rice. There was enough for lunch the next day, too. Right before that I made Sheet Pan Cajun Chicken and  Sheet Pan Beef and Broccoli. Both of these recipes can be made from ingredients you probably already have.

Someone asked me what I would recommend stocking up on. I would know first whet my family was willing to eat. Then I would build plans around that. Oil based salad dressings can act as sauces and marinades, so I bought quite a few of them. Frozen vegetables and canned veggies are always good to have. Go to the ethnic section of the grocery store and buy sauces (chili sauce, garlic sauce, sweet and sour sauce, sofrito etc.) Don’t be afraid to buy packets of flavorings. These are usually found with the gravy, Buy that, too. Sauces, flavorings and gravy can make meals less boring. Meatballs served in sweet and sour sauce are very different from meatballs served in a tomato sauce or even a cream sauce. Also think of meat as a flavoring rather than the main event. The chuck roast I wrote about earlier made 3 meals for 3 people, because I shredded it and used it in tacos. If we had eaten it as a roast, it would have only been one meal.

Finally, don’t buy more than you will need or use. We need to realize that other people need food, too.

I made this dish before we ever went to the store. I found a box of frozen creamed spinach, a pound of frozen shrimp and a bottle of salad dressing when we were organizing. This was really good. It was also delicious served cold the next day.

This meal is good lock down food because it is quick, tasty and easy to make with products that will keep. You can also substitute chicken or pork in this dish. You could even eat it without meat. Frozen broccoli or peas in a cheese or butter sauce would also be delicious substitutes for the spinach.

Any small tube-shaped pasta like macaroni, penne, rigatoni or ziti would work in this recipe. I used cavatappi, which is the Italian word for corkscrew. Shaped pasta like farfalle (bowtie), fusilli, or small shells could be substituted. You could even forego the meat and used a filled pasta like tortellini or ravioli.

Servings: 4-6

Time:  Active time: 5 minutes; Cook: 15 minutes; Dinner in 20 minutes

Hardware:  measuring cups, a deep non-stick skillet, a bowl, tongs

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. 21/25 count shrimp-cleaned with tails removed
• 1-10-ounce package creamed spinach
• 1 cup oil based Italian salad dressing
• ½ cup milk
• Salt and pepper
• Cooking spray (oil, butter)
• 8 ounces of prepared pasta (tube or shaped-see above)

1. Cook the spinach and pasta according to the package directions.
2. While they are cooking, heat the skillet on medium-high. Use whatever (oil, butter, cooking spray) to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the clean shrimp and salt and pepper it. Cook the shrimp on each side for about 3 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through. Remove the shrimp to the bowl with the tongs. 
3. Add the salad dressing, spinach and milk to the same pan. Mix until the sauce comes to a low boil. Reduce the heat and return the shrimp. Adjust the salt.
4. Serve immediately over the drained pasta.