This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of RAGÚ® and Barilla®. All opinions are entirely my own.
Often my recipes are inspired by my travels, and this recipe is no exception. I went to college in Gainesville, which is pretty much the dead-center of Northern Florida. I used to enjoy mini-road trips to Cedar Key, just over an hour west. It’s a really small community on the Gulf of Mexico, known for its fresh seafood. There used to be a restaurant overlooking the water that served the most amazing shrimp pizza. From what I remember, it was a pizza crust with a garlicky Alfredo sauce, topped with shrimp, sautéed mushrooms, and spinach. Inspired by this pizza, I decided to make this Creamy Shrimp Penne with the help of RAGÚ® and Barilla® Pasta from Family Dollar.
Ingredients:
- 1 jar RAGÚ Cheese Creations Roasted Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- 1 box Barilla Penne
- 1 pound raw shrimp
- 8 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 5 ounce bag of spinach
- 1 T butter
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Begin by gathering your ingredients. This is such a simple recipe that takes under 20 minutes to prepare. It’s a great mid-week meal your whole family will enjoy. And if shrimp isn’t your family’s favorite, you can make the same recipe with a different protein, like grilled steak or roasted chicken.
Cook the pasta according to the directions on package and strain. We like our pasta al dente {which means “to the tooth” in Italian}, and according to the box, that requires 11 – 12 minutes of cook time.
While your pasta is boiling, add one tablespoon of butter to a sauté pan. Add your peeled, deveined shrimp to the pan. The cooking time on your shrimp will vary based upon the size of the shrimp. These shrimp were large, which means that they were 20/25 count per pound. I cooked them about 3 minutes on one side, flipped them over, and cooked them 2 minutes on the other side. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, and remove them from the pan.
In the same pan, add the sliced mushrooms. Purchasing fresh mushrooms that are already sliced saves a lot of prep time, which is great for quick, mid-week meals. When the mushrooms begin to soften {after about 5 minutes}, add the entire bag of spinach and two tablespoons of water. While it looks like a lot of spinach, after you sauté it for just a few minutes, it will wilt down to the perfect portion for your pasta dish.
Combine the cooked penne, sautéed shrimp, spinach, and mushrooms. Add the RAGÚ Cheese Creations Roasted Garlic Parmesan Sauce. We found that about 2/3 of the jar worked well for the entire box of penne. You can always warm up an extra side of sauce for family members who want a little more.
Place your pot over a low burner and toss the sauce with the other ingredients to warm it through. Now your Creamy Shrimp Penne is ready to serve! This would be great served family style with a large Caesar salad and some garlic bread.
Head to Family Dollar where you can purchase Barilla and RAGÚ products to create the perfect mid-week meal for your family. Now, check out this great deal available at Family Dollar:
Buy two RAGÚ 16-24 oz and get a Free 16 oz Barilla Pasta
And just to share a bit of our travels to Cedar Key – the site of the inspiration behind this dish – with you, here’s a picture of us there New Year’s Day 2016. It’s such a beautiful place to visit with my family! #WeeknightTradition @ragusauce @BarillaUS
How do you find inspiration for your quick and easy mid-week meals?
Any Comments?