WE EAT | Lemon Shrimp Pasta

Its been a while.  A while since we sat down as a family to eat a home cooked meal.  Since Baker was born its hit or miss, and if we do sit down together as a family we are rushing through because up next is baths for everyone, chocolate milk + Peppa the Pig and then a bedtime that takes approximately 64 minutes to follow through.  

This year I resolute to taking time to enjoy my crazy.  Even if it does mean our family dinners are cutting into the evening routine just a bit.

I call it a routine- but seriously its not at all.  More like surviving until bedtime.  

What are the steps that need to be taken to successfully reach bedtime?! 

Kicking off 2016 and my resolution to eat well with my family is a delicious and creamy pasta dish- homemade lemony sauce with fresh shrimp, parmesan, and parsley.  Not to mention it is easy on the calories because the sauce is made with vegetable broth and skim milk.  

Dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes?? I'll take it!

I doubled the sauce of this recipe but used an entire pound of whole wheat penne to feed my family of four with a serving leftover for me to take to work for lunch the next day.

You can totally switch up the proteins for this dish- scallops or flaked salmon would be phenomenal and if you aren't a seafood fan toss in some grilled chicken, instead.

NOM.

Lemon Shrimp Pasta

adapted from diethood

16-ounces dry whole wheat penne pasta

I pound raw peeled and deveined medium shrimp

for the sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups vegetable broth

3/4 cup shaved Parmesan Cheese

1 cup skim milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

the zest of one lemon

the juice of one fresh lemon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

additional parmesan cheese, for garnish

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Cook pasta according to the directions on the box.  In the meantime, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and shrimp; cook for 5 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant and the shrimp are bright pink, stirring frequently.  Remove from pan.  Whisk in flour; whisk until flour isn't dry.  Slowly whisk in the broth.  Cook and whisk until mixture is smooth; continue to cook until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat- it will look like gravy:)  Whisk in parmesan cheese; and stir until melted.  Whisk in the milk next; whisk until combined.  Season with salt and pepper and then stir in lemon zest and lemon juice.  Sauce will continue to thicken as it stands. If sauce is too thick, add a little more milk.  Drain pasta and return to pot.  Pour sauce over the cooked pasta and shrimp; mix until combined.  Stir in 1 tablespoon parsley.  Transfer to plates; garnish with remaining parsley and a sprinkle of shredded parmesan cheese.

The flavor of this pasta is out of this world!  The zest of the lemon makes this low fat dish super flavorful.  My entire family loved it!  The sauce thickened as it sat- so before I reheated it the next day I added a splash of milk to loosen up the sauce and it totally did the trick.

This recipe was a crowd pleaser- one that I know I'll be going back to for something quick and easy for a weeknight, but 'fancy' enough for a weekend meal served to friends.
You may or may not see this on repeat for Supper Club:)