Lemon Pasta with Shrimp and Spinach

If you're on the lookout for a yummy and refreshing summer meal, you've just got to give this Lemon Pasta with Shrimp and Spinach recipe a whirl. The lemon really adds a lovely zing to the pasta and shrimp, and if you're a fan of a little bit of heat, the habanero pepper gives it a nice kick. We also threw in some cottage cheese to make it creamy and delightful, but if you're feeling fancy, feel free to add some Parmigiano Reggiano. We decided to skip it this time to keep things light and healthy. Enjoy!

Yes, cottage cheese is the secret ingredient!

Lately, we've been have been obsessed with cottage cheese in many of our recipes this summer. We enjoy it as a snack with just salt and pepper. I understand that some people find this odd, but it's a tradition in our family. My Dad introduced it to us, and it's something we still enjoy.  One of Amy’s favorite snacks as a kid was cottage cheese with salt and pepper, and she even had it with sardines!

In our homemade lasagna, we use cottage cheese instead of Ricotta cheese. When I first made lasagna years ago, we lived in a small town in Ohio, and I couldn't find Ricotta cheese. Sooooo, I tried cottage cheese instead, and it was a hit! We've used cottage cheese in many other recipes since then. For instance, we added it to this light and tangy lemon pasta with shrimp and spinach. The cottage cheese creates a creamy sauce that perfectly complements the pasta's lemony taste. We didn't add any other cheeses because the lemon zest and the sauce's creaminess enhanced the pasta's flavors and the buttery, salty-sweet taste of the shrimp.

Creamy lemon pasta with shrimp, spinach recipe and a twist adding Cottage Cheese!!!

Our recipes always prioritize flavor while keeping calories in check. This particular dish is bursting with zesty flavors and incorporates non-fat cottage cheese to significantly reduce the calorie count. You won't be disappointed with this delicious and healthy meal.

Let's talk about reducing calorie intake. Non-fat cottage cheese contains only 210 calories, compared to the 856 calories found in 2 cups of Ricotta cheese. Of course, if you're a fan of Ricotta cheese, you may not want to substitute it with cottage cheese. In that case, simply continue using Ricotta cheese.

How to make this Lemon Pasta with Shrimp and Spinach recipe

This recipe is simple and quick, taking less than 30 minutes to prepare, just like most of our recipes. The best thing about it is that it has multiple layers of flavor, fooling everyone into thinking that you spent hours making it!

Step 1:

TIP: Before beginning to cook any recipe, it's always a good idea to prepare all the necessary ingredients. This will save time and reduce the stress of cooking. In the case of pasta recipes, it's recommended to start heating the water early on, so that it's already boiling when you're ready to cook.

To prepare the shrimp, start by removing the shells and deveining them. Rinse the shrimp thoroughly and dry them using a paper towel. If there is a strong odor and you would like to eliminate it, click here for a helpful tip that never fails.

Zest and Juice the Lemons

Grate the zest of one lemon and extract the juice of two lemons.

Tip: It's best to zest the lemon before cutting it, as it makes the task much simpler. Use a whole lemon instead of one that's already been cut and juiced. Add half of the lemon's juice to the shrimp, but keep the zest and remaining juice for the cottage cheese mixture. After adding the lemon juice, set the shrimp aside.

TIP: For best results, it is recommended to marinate the shrimp and lemon juice for less than 30 minutes. Otherwise, the acid from the lemons may start to cook the shrimp prematurely.

Prepare the Cottage Cheese mixture.

For this lemon pasta and shrimp dish, cottage cheese is a key ingredient. To prepare, combine cottage cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, and habanero pepper (if desired). If you don't want to use habanero pepper, you can replace it with ½ tablespoon of red pepper flakes. It's best to add the habanero pepper to the cottage cheese mixture instead of cooking it with the shrimp. Cooking the pepper with the shrimp may release fumes that can be bothersome, so adding it a little later can avoid this issue.

Pasta

Once the water has reached boiling point, sprinkle a few tablespoons of salt into it before placing the pasta in. A useful tip to bear in mind is that salt enhances the taste of the pasta when added to boiling water. Make sure to save some pasta water to make the pasta even more delicious and flavorful.

TIP: This is how I remember to save the pasta water. I have two ways to do it:

• First, use a strainer to remove the pasta from the pot and directly transfer it to the saute pan.
• Or use a colander to strain the water. To prevent the water from going down the drain, place a large measuring cup in the sink and put the colander on top of of the cup. Once the pasta is cooked, pour it into the colander, and the measuring cup will collect the water.

TIP: A helpful diet tip is to measure everything. We use a kitchen scale, even for dry pasta, before cooking it. I take it a step further and weigh each individual plate before serving to ensure equal portion sizes for everyone. This helps avoid any disagreements over who received a larger serving. 😆

Cooking The Shrimp for the Lemon Pasta and Shrimp

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the shrimp with some lemon juice to the pan. Sprinkle the garlic powder and a teaspoon of salt onto the shrimp. Cook the shrimp for approximately 4 to 5 minutes, until they are almost fully cooked.  

Add the cooked pasta to the pan, and then add the fresh spinach. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over the spinach. We prefer using fresh spinach in this recipe, it can also be made with frozen spinach. It's always fun to watch the fresh spinach wilt down. The taste remains the same whether you use fresh or frozen spinach. It should take around 3 to 4 minutes to cook the spinach.

Temper the Cottage Cheese

Tempering is an important step that may seem complicated, but it's actually easy to do. Some cooking shows make it seem like it's only something that classically trained chefs can do, but as a home cook, I think we can handle it too. . .maybe even better!!!

Tempering involves slowly mixing the hot liquid with a cold one to gradually warm up the cold item. This method helps to smoothly blend the cottage cheese without it separating. 

To execute this step, simply remove the pan from the heat and stir in ¼ cup of the reserved hot pasta water into the cottage cheese mixture.

Once the cottage cheese and hot pasta water are mixed, pour it over the Lemon Pasta with Shrimp and Spinach. Stir together and Serve!!!!

To savor the Lemon and Pasta with Shrimp and Spinach, it's best to aloso have a loaf of crusty bread.

Other fun recipes using lemon and or pasta are Pasta in garlic lemon sauce, Lemon ricotta pasta with shrimp and spinach, Lemon chicken, Lemon ricotta sauce with shrimp, Creamy Lemon pasta with shrimp, Pesto pasta with garlic and lemon, Herb crusted lamb, Fettuccine with Sausage, Fresh Tomato Pasta, Seared Scallop with Pasta, and of course, a dessert Blueberry lemon cheesecake.