Garlic Shrimp & Spinach One-Pan Pasta

Are you looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal? This one-pan pasta is healthy and flavorful and cooked up and served all from one pan. It’s sure to become a favorite in your weeknight round-up.

What exactly is one-pan pasta? Imagine cooking up a complete pasta meal and serving it at the table, all from the same pan!

Sounds too good to be true, right?

But it’s not!

Perfectly cooked pasta mixed with shrimp, spinach and garlic in a tasty sauce…all cooked in one pan with no need to drain off any liquid!

There is no big pot of water, no waiting for the water to boil before adding the pasta…yada yada yada..that all adds time and fuss!

With this method, you can have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes. What’s not to love about that?

It all starts with sauteeing the garlic in some oil before adding the shrimp, which cooks up in no time. Remove the garlic and shrimp and add in all the liquid ingredients and pasta and let it get cooking! Once the liquid is reduced by approximately half, it’s time to add the shrimp and garlic back to the pan for a couple minutes before tossing in the spinach leaves for a quick wilt.

And voila! Dinner is served!

This one-pan pasta works on so many levels. All the liquid you use is just the right amount to cook the pasta to a perfect al dente. The liquid also thickens from the pasta starches as it cooks, reducing down to a light flavorful sauce that coats all the pasta and shrimp.

Besides perfectly cooked pasta, you’ve got tender shrimp and a healthy dose of spinach…all contributing to a totally satisfying and complete meal.

The flavor can’t be beat with the combination of chicken broth, wine, and garlic…and don’t forget the fresh Parmesan served at the table! Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the pasta right being serving for a fresh citrus-y note.

If you’re ambitious and want to go beyond the one pan, try serving this up with Spring Balsamic Avocado Feta Salad or with a side of Gluten-Free Parmesan Sage Focaccia!

This one-pan pasta is definitely a weeknight dinner winner that is too easy and too good to pass up! You’ll be glad you worked it into your meal rotation!

~ Lisa.

Garlic Shrimp & Spinach One-Pan Pasta

Are you looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal? This one-pan pasta is healthy and flavorful and cooked up and served all from one pan. It's sure to become a favorite in your weeknight round-up.

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Western

Keyword: pasta, shrimp

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

Author: Lisa from A Day in the Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 tbs light olive oil
• 4-6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 1/2 lb. (225g) raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used tails off)
• 3/4 lb. (340g) dry penne pasta (I used gluten-free; use whatever shape pasta you like)
• 1 1/2 cups organic chicken broth
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 large handfuls fresh spinach leaves

Instructions

• Heat light olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  
• Saute garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring often.
  
• Add shrimp and saute with the garlic until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.
  
• Remove garlic and shrimp from pan with slotted spoon.
  
• Add penne, chicken broth, white wine, water, salt and pepper to the pan and bring to a boil.
  
• Reduce heat to medium and cook the pasta, stirring occasionally.
  
• When the liquid has reduced by about half, add the shrimp and garlic back to the pan and stir to combine with the pasta.
  
• Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the liquid has thickened slightly.
  
• Add the spinach leaves and stir into the pasta.
  
• Remove from the heat and serve straight from the pan!
  
• Garnish with grated Parmesan, fresh chopped parsley, and lemon wedges, if desired.
  

Notes

1. Use whatever shaped pasta you prefer. I find this recipe works best with small pasta like penne or elbow macaroni, but it can definitely be done with spaghetti or linguine.
2. Add other fresh ingredients to the pan such as tomatoes or basil leaves.
3. You can also make this with chicken. Just make sure to saute the chicken a minute or two longer at the start to make sure it is completely cooked.

Have you tried this recipe?Mention @dayinthekitchen or tag #adayinthekitchen!

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This post was originally published on March 12th, 2018, but was republished in May 2019 with new photos, instructional photos, and writing.