Shrimp, spinach, capers & garlic lemon linguine: oh my!

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I was fortunate to grow up close to the Texas Coast. I spent most of my childhood with weekend and summer getaways to our family bayhouse in Port Alto. That’s when my love of shellfish, specifically shrimp, started. You can pretty much put anything in front of my face that includes shrimp and I’ll eat it. It’s a rarity that you won’t find frozen shrimp in my freezer as I will find myself craving it multiple times a month which leads me to a relatively new dish creation. A few weeks ago, I was craving some shrimp and pasta. I knew I had the shrimp and once I found the fettuccine in my pantry, I was in business. Afterall, I had watched the women in my family throw together ingredients for years, crossing their fingers it would all work (as if there was ever even a question it would) so I was feeling confident. I found some spinach that was on the verge of going bad, I had some fresh garlic cloves on hand which is pretty standard in my kitchen, lemons, a few cheese options, capers, butter and as always, enough spices to get me through the next decade. I went to work and actually whipped up a pretty decent meal.

Ingredients:

  • 1 to 1.5lbs jumbo shrimp (I prefer shrimp already peeled but w/ the tails still on)
  • 8oz linguine
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3.5oz capers (drained)
  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper (teaspoon if you want it less spicy)
  • 1 lemon
  • 5 cups spinach
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

  • In a large pot, cook the linguine. Once done cooking, drain and set aside
  • In a large skillet, heat olive oil & 3 tablespoons of butter
  • Once melted, add the minced garlic & red pepper flakes until nice and fragrant
  • Add the shrimp seasoning it with salt and pepper and cooking until the shrimp turn pink. Add additional seasoning
  • Add the spinach and cook until wilted
  • Add the pasta, capers, remaining butter and parmesan cheese
  • Mix all together
  • Add the fresh lemon juice to the pasta before serving

This is a super easy recipe and doesn’t take longer than 30 minutes to prepare. I promise, you’ll be a hit serving this one.