Shrimp and Spinach Pasta with Roux

I’d already gotten a good start on this one before I remembered I wanted to blog it. Here you go, spinach already wilted and cherry tomatoes already cut! 

The Tinkanyada elbows are already going on the stove, so what’s going to actually get blogged is what I’m trying for a sauce. 

Shrimp my dad was lucky enough to find for me already peeled and tails off, so they’ve been thawing and are going in the cast-iron just as they are, with only a couple tablespoons of olive oil to build a roux out of once the shrimp are cooked.

(Yes, I know a roux is properly butter. For shrimp I wanted something a little less ‘heavy.’)

Shrimp you want to cook until the last of them just BARELY turn pink: a little past this, here.

Add your shrimp to the spinach and tomatoes.

And add another couple tablespoons olive oil and some white rice flour (looked like an eighth of a cup) into the skillet.

After that’s cooked for a couple minutes and is bubbly, add a half cup milk and whisk until smooth. 

Keep adding milk a half cup at a time and whisking, either until it stops thickening or until you have as much sauce as you want.

Toss sauce and pasta with spinach mixture. Serve hot, topped with Parmesan.

SHRIMP AND SPNACH PASTA WITH ROUX

20oz fresh spinach, wilted

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

16oz Tinkanyada elbow pasta

12oz shrimp, peeled and tails off

4T olive oil, divided

1/8C white or brown rice flour

2C milk

Parmesan, for serving

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep hot.

While pasta is cooking, wilt spinach in the microwave, tightly covered. Halve tomatoes; add to spinach.

Add 2T oil to large skillet. Add shrimp; cook, stirring, until just barely pink. Remove shrimp and add to spinach and tomatoes.

Add the rest of the oil to the skillet. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly (just a few minutes). Add half cup of milk and whisk until smooth and thickened slightly. Add milk, a half cup at a time, stirring constantly as roux thickens. 

When roux is done, add pasta to spinach mixture. Toss with roux and serve hot, topped with Parmesan.

Servings: 8

Calories per serving (does not include Parmesan): 280

Three-Minute Gluten Free Macaroni and Cheese

I’m serious, here, guys, it cooks even quicker than Kraft - AND has the huge benefit of me being able to pronounce every ingredient in it.

No orange dye/no powdered junk, that is!

These little Thai Kitchens are great; they’re good by themselves, although the flavor packet ingredients DO start with sugar and salt!; and they cook up super-quick.

I usually make my own sauces, though, like I’m doing today. It’s a ‘celiac’ day, and mac and cheese is comfort food around here.

Three minutes in my little saucepan:

Then I don’t even use a colander, just drain with a fork over the sink, and (turn the heat off on the burner!) stir in a little milk and cheese, right there in the same pot.

Voila! Lunch.

*You can do it with Ramen noodles, too, if you can eat the wheat: but check your ingredients on those noodles! These Thai Kitchen noodles are “Rice, tapioca starch, water.”  I am ALL ABOUT the pronounceable ingredients!!

Creamy Pasta with Shrimp, Spinach, and Tomatoes

CREAMY PASTA WITH SHRIMP, SPINACH, AND TOMATOES 

Ingredients 

2 lbs fresh spinach

2 quarts cherry or grape tomatoes

12 oz frozen cooked shrimp, thawed

1 lb pasta

14 oz chicken broth, or water and broth base, heated

1 1/2 C milk

3 T cornstarch

Fresh Parmesan

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Steam spinach in a large bowl in the microwave, covered, until wilted (about 4 minutes). Half the grape tomatoes and add them to the spinach. Take the tails off the shrimp and add to spinach and tomatoes.

Heat broth or water/broth base in four-cup measure. Whisk cornstarch into milk; add to broth. Heat to boiling until thickened, whisking every two minutes.

Toss pasta and sauce with spinach mixture. Serve hot, topped with fresh Partmesan

Servings: 8

Calories per serving: 250