Garlic Shrimp Pasta (with Baby Spinach)

My family, we are big fans of pasta, any kind especially my son. Since I cook pasta at least twice a week, I try to be very creative, and adding veggies is definitely one of them. This recipe is one of my quick and easy...tasty too. I do not use the tomato based sauce very much, most the times I prefer white sauce or just olive oil. When time permits I prefer to make fresh pasta at home, my kids love playing with pasta dough making various shapes and sizes

This recipe that I created and has lasted very long in my home, I was trying to replicate a pasta dish that I had long time ago at a very small restaurant in Dusseldorf , Germany. Whenever I travel I feel very safe eating only sea food and fish meals. The dish was shrimp and garlic and I decided to add spinach and bell pepper for

some extra color too. I loved this dish so much because it had plenty of garlic, what can I say..I love garlic too, and plenty of it as well.

Its a known fact that Pasta originates from Italy, precisely from Sicily dating back to as far as 1154. Typically, pasta is a noodle made from an unleavened dough  of a durum wheat flour  mixed with water and formed into sheets or various shapes, then cooked  and served in any number of dishes. It can be made with flour from other cereal or grains , and eggs  may be used instead of water.

Pastas may be divided into two broad categories, dried pasta and fresh pasta.

Both dried and fresh pasta come in a number of shapes and varieties, with 310 specific forms known variably by over 1300 names having been documented. In Italy the names of specific pasta shapes or types often vary with locale. For example the form cavatelli  is known by 28 different names depending on region and town.

As a category in Italian cuisine, both fresh and dried pastas are classically used in one of three kinds of prepared dishes. As pasta asciutta (or pastasciutta) cooked pasta is plated and served with a complementary sauce or condiment. A second classification of pasta dishes is pasta in brodo in which the pasta is part of a soup-type dish. A third category is pasta al forno in which the pasta incorporated into a dish that is subsequently baked

Pasta sauces vary in taste, color and texture. When choosing which type of pasta and sauce to serve together, there is a general rule that must be observed. Simple sauces like pesto are ideal for long and thin strands of pasta while tomato sauce combines well with thicker pastas. Thicker and chunkier sauces have the better ability to cling onto the holes and cuts of short, tubular, twisted pastas. The ratio of sauce to pasta varies according to taste and texture, however traditionally the sauce should not be excessive as the pasta itself must still be tasted. 

The quantity for the ingredients  for this dish are not so precise you can use  lesser or more.

Ingredients:

Spaghetti / Fettuccine or any long pasta

Large shrimps - 1 pound

Garlic - 2 big bulbs ( peeled and finely chopped)

Baby Spinach - 2 cups or more

Red Bell pepper - 1 ( Diced )

Olive oil 2 Tbls or more

Method:

Wash , clean the shrimps and keep them in a paper towel to drain

Cook the pasta as per the direction on the box

In a large sauce pan, add olive and keep on medium heat, add the garlic and sautee for a minute, be careful not to burn the garlic. 

Add the shrimps and stir, add the bell pepper and saute for a minute or so, add the spinach and mix quickly, add the pasta and let it cook for 2 minutes . Ready to serve....Enjoy your meal!