Creamy shrimp and pancetta pasta with spinach is easy to prep delicious family meal that everyone will love. Simple, juicy and so tasty!
Seasoned shrimp, delicious pancetta with pasta of your choice and there you have an amazing easy dinner – on the table in 30 minutes. Everyone will love this!
Tips for making the shrimp and pancetta pasta
Shrimp perfection. If you want to make shrimp the way it’s intended and to experience all that shrimp perfection, then there are just two simple rules for juicy, tender shrimp:
- Medium to high heat
- Cook for 4 minutes on first side, and 2 to 3 minutes on the opposite side.
Cheese selection. I used goat cheese, another great option would be Parmesan.
Why use Pancetta
Pancetta is a salt cured thin sliced meat that is similar to bacon, only much thinner in texture. It is a guaranteed way to elevate everyday meals. Besides, it pairs perfectly with seafood! In this shrimp and pancetta pasta recipe, it provides a robust meaty flavor and definitely brings out a deeper, more complex taste to the entire dish.
What kind of pasta
I recommend using a short pasta. You can use Penne, Rigatoni, Farfalle, Orecchiette.It just makes it easier to eat, ensuring you get a bit of everything with plenty of that sauce in every bite!
Ingredients
Shrimp. You will need raw shrimp – you can cook it with tails on or off. I removed the tails after cooking my shrimp
Pancetta. Prepackaged thinly pancetta would do. Make sure to chop it.
Goat cheese. I used crumbled goat cheese. You can also use Parmesan
Canned tomatoes. I used yellow canned tomatoes, but feel free to use regular ones
Spinach. Baby spinach works best here.
Olive oil and butter. I always use a combination both saturated and unsaturated fats in cooking as they blend together beautifully.
Heavy cream. Whipping cream or heavy cream, as well as half-and-half will equally be great in this Shrimp and Pancetta Pasta recipe.
You will also need
Sun-dried tomatoes. These would add a nice touch to the flavor of a sauce.
Garlic. Garlic is the basis of flavor for this dish. Use 2-4 cloves, if preferred.
Onion. I chopped half an onion, use either sweet or red onion.
How long does shrimp and pancetta pasta keep?
Shrimp and pancetta pasta is best served as soon as you make it, but leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Leftovers can be re-heated in the oven at 350°F for 20 minutes or so until warmed through
This is such a great recipe when you want something tasty with shrimp, but don’t have hours of time for research and prep. This easy shrimp pasta recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner and at the same time is fancy enough to serve to guests. I just know that you’ll love this family recipe as much as my family does!
Creamy Shrimp and Pancetta Pasta with Spinach
Equipment
- Skillet stainless steel
- 1 spatula
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 pot medium
Ingredients
- 10 oz pasta, penne or cavatelli
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 10 oz shrimp, peeled and tails removed
- 4 slices Pancetta, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- ½ onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon capers
- ⅓ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 10 oz yellow tomatoes, (or red tomatoes)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup goat cheese, crambled
- 1 bunch parsley
Instructions
- Fill medium pot with water and bring it to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente (almost cooked through). Drain and set aside
- Chop garlic and onions. Set aside. Remove tails off the shrimp and season shrimp with salt. pepper and Italian seasoning.
- In a large stainless steel skillet, add butter and olive oil. Once heated add seasoned shrimp and cook until it turns pink without disturbing for 4 minutes. Flip the shrimp on the other side and finish cooking for 3 more minutes. Now add chopped Pancetta and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove both onto a plate.
- To the now empty skillet – add chopped garlic and onions and cook until translucent. Capers and sun-dried tomatoes go in next – blend them in before adding tomato paste, canned tomatoes, heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Taste the mixture and season with salt and pepper.
Final Assembly
- Add shrimp, Pancetta and pasta into the sauce and mix well.
- Serve sprinkled with crumbled goat cheese and chopped parsley.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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