Rigatoni Rosa with Shrimp

As promised, here is a post about this Penna Rosa with Shrimp recipe.

This pasta was creamy, with a nice flavour.  In the future, I would definitely add fat-free greek yogurt to dishes, in lieu of heavy cream.  The shrimp was a great addition of protein, without adding a lot of calories.  As usual, I didn't follow the recipe to the letter, so I will share my rendition.

Serves:  4  (BIG servings!)

Nutritional Information:  466 calories, 6.5g fat, 3g fiber, 34g protein

Ingredients:

• 300g of penne or rigatoni
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp crushed garlic
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 pkg of mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 red pepper, julienned
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 12 oz of shrimp (about 48 medium shrimp)
• 4 c. spinach
• 3/4 c. crushed tomatoes (or marinara sauce if you don't want to season)
• 1/3 c. fat-free Greek yogurt (I like Liberté Plain Greek Yogurt 0%)
• 1 tbsp Litehouse freeze-dried Italian Herb Blend
• 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta to slightly al dente.  Drain and set aside.  As the pasta is cooking, prep the veggies and shrimp.
2. Heat the olive oil on medium in a very large skillet or wok.  Cook the garlic and onion until they are soft.
3. Increase the heat to medium high and add the mushrooms, red pepper and tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the mushrooms release their liquids.
4. Add the shrimp and cook for around 2 minutes, until the shrimp are pink.
5. Remove the skillet from the burner.  Spread the spinach over the top and place the lid on the skillet.  Let it sit for around 2 minutes to wilt the spinach.
6. While the spinach is wilting, mix up the tomato sauce, Greek yogurt and Italian seasoning.
7. Return the skillet to low heat.  Toss in the pasta and let it cook for a few moments, allowing it to release some of the sugars.  Add the sauce and mix it in.  Let the pasta cook up the sauce for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender.
8. Served topped with the parm cheese.